Kir Starmer is facing an intense political crisis following the resignation of assistant ministers and the request of nearly 80 Labour MEPs to resign.
The British Prime Minister Kir Starmer, whose political fate appears to hang in the balance, eexpressed his willingness today to “continue to govern” despite calls for his resignation from more than 70 MPs in his Labour party and some ministers.
In fact two deputy ministers resigned todayin order to push him to resign.
Who wants him to resign
Pressure on the leader of the Labour Party has not ceased to mount after his speech yesterday aimed at giving a new impetus to his tenureafter last Thursday’s disastrous local election for Labour. By British media count, at least 72 Labour MPs are calling on him to leave office or set a timetable for his departure.
But Kir Starmers cleared it upwith his ministers at his Cabinet meeting today: He wants to continue to govern. “Labour has a process for challenging the leadership of the party, but it has not been activated,” he noted.
For such a process to be initiated, one is required to formally declare candidacy and secure the support of 81 MPs (t 20% of the parliamentary caucus.
But distrust in Kir Starmer has extended even within his government. Before today’s cabinet even began, Secretary of State for Housing Miata Fanbuleh announced her resignation, and was later followed by the resignation of Secretary of State for Protection and Response to Violence against Women and Girls Jess Phillips.
Calls for his resignation have also come from top officials in his government, according to British media. Among them,Interior Minister Sabana Mahmoud,according to several media outlets.
Even Darren Jones,a close ally of Kir Starmers, seemed particularly cautious: “I’m not going to prejudge a decision that the prime minister may or may not make,” he told the Sky News network.
The arguments in favour of staying
His supporters are more subtle, but there are always some.
Hence the prime minister can count on the support of his deputy prime minister and justice minister David Lammy,as well as that of his trade minister Jonathan Reynolds,according to Sky News. Labour minister Pat McFadden also encouraged him to “keep fighting.”
“The last 48 hours have been disruptive for the government, which has a real economic cost to our country and to families,” argued Kir Starmers.
This context of political uncertainty has specific consequences: Government bond rates rose to a new high today of 5.797%, surpassing last week’s level and reaching unprecedented levels since 1998.
Many Labour officials want to avoid a situation like the one in 2022, when the Conservatives changed three prime ministers in just four months.
How did we get here?
Labour’s popularity of the 63-year-old leader has collapsed since his rise to power following his Labour Party’s big victory in the 2024 general election, which brought an end to 14 years of Conservative rule.
His critics attribute it to his many missteps, his slips and polemics – most notably the scandal surrounding the appointment of Peter Mandelson as Britain’s ambassador to Washington, a controversial Labour figure because of his links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The dissent within his party was further strengthened after last Thursday’s local elections. Labour lost ground to Nigel Farage’s anti-immigration Reform UK party, even in its strongholds in northern England and Wales. The Greens, too, who are further to the left of Labour, took votes away from the party in London.
This political storm comes against a backdrop of heightened international turmoil from the war in the Middle East and at a particularly sensitive moment nationally, on the eve of King Charles’ speech to parliament in which he will set out the government’s programme for the new parliamentary term.
Who could replace Starmer?
A possible departure of Kir Starmer would not lead to a general election, but to his replacement by another Labour leader.
The British media have been reporting several names for weeks. That of Wes Streting,the health minister, appears to be the simplest option. The 43-year-old Stritting is an elected member of the House of Commons, which is a prerequisite for becoming prime minister.
Also likely would be a candidacy of 56-year-old Andy Burnham,the mayor of the Greater Manchester area of Manchester and Labour’s most popular political figure, according to the polls. However, he cannot stand as he has no seat in parliament. Holding an election could take several months and would require an MP from a “safe” constituency to resign to give up their seat.
The name of 46-year-old former deputy prime minister Angela Rainer is also frequently mentioned in the press.
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