The Labour Party has descended into open division over Sir Keir Starmer’s future, as four ministers resigned and joined at least 80 MPs urging him to quit, while more than 100 others warned against a leadership contest.
Prominent MP Jess Phillips was among the junior ministers to exit Sir Keir’s Government, piling pressure on him to go.
The Labour leader vowed to fight on at Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting, and was publicly backed by several loyal ministers.
A statement understood to have been signed by more than 100 Labour MPs, and not organised by Downing Street, urged colleagues to come together behind the Prime Minister.
“We must focus on that. This is no time for a leadership contest,” the statement said.
But at least 83 out of Labour’s 403 MPs have demanded Sir Keir’s departure after the party’s electoral mauling last week, passing the threshold to trigger a leadership contest but without meeting the condition that they all line up behind a single challenger.
Ms Phillips, the most high profile of the ministerial departures, criticised the Prime Minister’s failure to be “bold”.
Junior health minister Zubir Ahmed, an ally of leadership hopeful Wes Streeting, followed her out of the door on Tuesday afternoon, citing a “lack of values-driven leadership” and saying the public has “irretrievably lost confidence in you as Prime Minister.”
Alex Davies-Jones, believed to be a supporter of Health Secretary Mr Streeting, also quit the Home Office, saying there had been a lack of “bold, radical action”.
Resigning housing minister Miatta Fahnbulleh, an ally of Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, said the public had lost trust in Sir Keir because of issues such as the scrapping of the winter fuel payment.
The Prime Minister earlier defied calls for him to vacate No 10, telling his Cabinet the country “expects us to get on with governing” and “that is what I am doing”.
He avoided being directly challenged as he declined to discuss his leadership during Tuesday’s gathering or meet critics individually afterwards, the Press Association understands.
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