British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing mounting pressure from within the Labour Party after heavy local election losses triggered calls from dozens of lawmakers and government aides for his resignation.
More than 80 Labour MPs have reportedly urged Starmer to step down or outline a timetable for an orderly transition, while divisions inside the cabinet have intensified ahead of a crucial meeting on Tuesday.
Starmer has so far remained defiant, insisting he will not resign despite growing unrest among ministers, lawmakers and party insiders.
The crisis follows Labour’s poor performance in local elections last week, where the party lost more than 1,400 council seats and surrendered control in Wales as Reform UK and the Green Party made significant gains.
Senior cabinet figures are reportedly divided over Starmer’s future, with some urging him to continue while others are said to favor a leadership transition.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is among the most prominent voices understood to have advised Starmer to oversee a transfer of power.
Junior minister Miatta Fahnbulleh resigned on Tuesday, saying the prime minister had “lost the trust and confidence of the public.”
“I urge the Prime Minister to do the right thing for the country and the Party and set a timetable for an orderly transition,” she wrote on X.
Several ministerial aides also quit following Starmer’s speech on Monday in which he accepted responsibility for Labour’s election setbacks but warned against “chaos of constantly changing leaders.”
Starmer argued Labour remained “a mainstream party of power, not protest” and criticized both Reform UK and the Greens.
Political analysts and financial markets have increasingly questioned how long Starmer can remain in office.
Research firm Eurasia Group raised the probability of Starmer being removed this year to 80%, while analysts at Mizuho and Deutsche Bank warned that the political turmoil could unsettle investors further.
UK government borrowing costs climbed to their highest levels since 2008 amid uncertainty surrounding the government’s future direction.
Potential successors include Health Secretary Wes Streeting, former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, although none has formally launched a leadership challenge.
Under Labour Party rules, a leadership contest requires backing from at least 81 Labour MPs.