British Prime Minister Keir Starmer faced growing pressure on Tuesday after more than 80 Labour MPs called for him to resign or announce a timetable for departure following heavy local election losses across England and Wales.

Starmer told cabinet ministers at Downing Street that he would stay in office unless Labour’s formal leadership challenge process was triggered.

“As I said yesterday, I take responsibility for these election results and I take responsibility for delivering the change we promised,” Starmer told ministers.

“The country expects us to get on with governing.”

Labour lost more than 1,400 council seats last week and lost power in Wales after decades in government. Reform UK and the Green Party made gains across several regions.

The crisis deepened on Tuesday morning when Miatta Fahnbulleh, minister for devolution, faith and communities, resigned from government. She became the first serving minister to quit during the rebellion against Starmer.

In her resignation letter, Fahnbulleh said Labour had failed to govern with enough “vision, pace and ambition”. She added that Starmer 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.

According to the BBC and The Guardian, senior ministers held talks with Starmer on Monday night amid concern over Labour’s electoral collapse. The Guardian reported that Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, Defence Secretary John Healey and Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy were among ministers involved in discussions about Starmer’s future.

Some ministers reportedly urged Starmer to oversee a transition process, while others backed him remaining in office.

After Tuesday’s cabinet meeting, ministers publicly defended the prime minister. Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said there had been “many statements of support” around the cabinet table.

Business Secretary Peter Kyle also backed Starmer. The BBC described his support as significant because of his close political ties to Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who has been linked to a possible leadership challenge.

Streeting left Downing Street without answering questions from reporters.

Labour rules require support from 20 percent of Labour MPs to trigger a formal leadership contest. With Labour holding 403 seats in parliament, challengers need backing from at least 81 MPs.

Possible successors discussed in Westminster include Streeting, former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham.

Starmer has argued that another leadership change would damage Labour after years of political instability under Conservative governments.

In a speech on Monday, he said Labour would “never be forgiven for inflicting the chaos of constantly changing leaders” on the country.

Tuesday’s turmoil came one day before the State Opening of Parliament, where King Charles III is due to present the government’s legislative programme.

Despite the growing revolt inside Labour, Starmer signalled he would resist demands to resign unless opponents unite behind a challenger.

“The Labour Party has a process for challenging a leader and that has not been triggered,” he told ministers.

HT