Ministerial aides quit to call for Starmer’s resignation...

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Four ministerial aides have quit in order to call for Sir Keir Starmer’s resignation.

Joe Morris, Melanie Ward, Tom Rutland and Naushabah Khan broke ranks on Monday night after more than 70 backbenchers urged the Prime Minister to quit.

Mr Morris resigned from his role as parliamentary private secretary (PPS) to Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, who is a key figure on the Right of the party and has been proposed as a potential challenger to Sir Keir.

Ms Ward, the PPS to David Lammy, the Deputy Prime Minister, also resigned and called for Sir Keir to stand down.

Mr Rutland was PPS to Emma Reynolds, the Environment Secretary, and Ms Khan was a PPS in the Cabinet Office.

Sally Jameson, MP for Doncaster Central and PPS to Shabana Mahmood, the Home Secretary, also called for Sir Keir to resign but has not yet stood down herself.

The Prime Minister used a speech on Monday morning to try to reset his premiership after Labour lost almost 1,500 council seats in last week’s local elections.

But the speech, which promised a closer relationship with Europe, failed to quell unease among backbenchers, whose calls for him to quit grew throughout the day.

Ben Goldsborough is the 74th Labour MP to call for Sir Keir Starmer to resign.

The MP for South Norfolk said: “I believe our movement can still deliver the change people desperately want and deserve.

“But I no longer believe the Prime Minister can lead that change.”

Sir Keir is quickly inching towards 81 MPs, the total needed to trigger a leadership race.

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Sir Keir is quickly inching towards 81 MPs, the total needed to trigger a leadership race.

That is not quite correct. The 81 need to coalesce around one single challenger. My bet is Wes Streeting is getting close to that figure, but is keeping his powder dry.

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Minister Jess Phillips resigns from government, saying 'deeds not words matter'



Another minister has just resigned from Keir Starmer's government.

In her resignation letter, safeguarding minister Jess Phillips says "deeds not words matter".

Phillips says she and the prime minister have "worked closely together on Violence Against Women and Girls for many years", and she believes Keir Starmer has a "genuine" desire to "rectify this dreadful social ill".

"However, it would be remiss of me not to say that real change and direction in this area usually came from threats made by me in light of catastrophic mistakes. The Mandelson saga whenever it bubbled up made Number 10 kick into gear on the subject in order to prove our credentials. I will never waste a crisis to make advancements for women and girls and so demands were made and some were met."

She adds: "I think you are a good man fundamentally, who cares about the right things however I have seen first-hand how that is not enough.

"The desire not to have an argument means we rarely make an argument, leaving opportunities for progress stalled and delayed."

Phillips says: "Decency is vital, calm curiosity is also needed, but so too are fight and drive required. Have a row, push back, make arguments, bring people along.

"Standing up and being counted can't always be workshopped. Politics is as much about feelings as policy, especially at the moment."

Ending her resignation later, she says: "I want a Labour government to work and I will strive as I always have for its success and popularity, but I'm not seeing the change I think I, and the country expect, and so cannot continue to serve as a minister under the current leadership".

[rebbonk]

Maybe Jess is getting worried about what Rupert Lowe is about to reveal?

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Fourth ministerial resignation puts pressure on PM



Keir Starmer's position as prime minister has taken a further blow, as health minister Zubir Ahmed becomes the latest government minister to resign.

The first resignation of the day came from communities minister Miatta Fahnbulleh, who said in her letter to the prime minister that the country was crying out for change, but “the public does not believe that you can lead this change – and nor do I".

Several hours later, Jess Phillips announced she was leaving her role as safeguarding minister, telling Starmer that "deeds, not words matter".

Alex Davies-Jones soon followed suit, as she called for the prime minister to "act in the country's interest and set out a timetable for your departure".

In his resignation letter, Zubir Ahmed said it's clear the public has "irretrievably lost confidence in you as prime minister".

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Streeting preparing to resign



Wes Streeting will reportedly resign as Health Secretary and trigger a Labour leadership contest against Sir Keir Starmer as soon as tomorrow.

Allies of Mr Streeting said he was “going to go for it” after he met the Prime Minister at Downing Street for just 16 minutes this morning, according to The Times.

A spokesman for the Health Secretary said he would not discuss his brief meeting with Sir Keir over fears it would overshadow the King’s Speech, which took place at 11.30am.

However, Mr Streeting’s allies believe he is in the final stages of preparing a coup for the Labour leadership. If he stands, he would need the support of 81 Labour MPs, a fifth of the parliamentary party, to challenge Sir Keir.

Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, was also seen leaving No 10 around an hour after the meeting with Mr Streeting.

Almost 100 Labour MPs have demanded that Sir Keir quit after last week’s dire local election results, with four ministers, including a key ally of Mr Streeting, resigning in protest.

The Prime Minister dared rebels to oust him during a tense Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, continuing to defy ministers privately urging him to set out a timetable for his departure.

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Lib Dem leader takes aim at Streeting over reports of his imminent resignation

Sir Ed Davey has taken aim at Wes Streeting over his leadership ambitions, claiming his resignation is “taking so long it would give NHS waiting lists a run for their money”.

The leader of the Liberal Democrats, who has put the NHS at the heart of his party’s policy platform, said the Government “would have us believe that it has turned the NHS around”.

He told the Commons: “When he’s not plotting his next leadership bid on the Prime Minister, the Secretary of State would have Labour backbenchers believe he is fixing the NHS. If only Madam Deputy Speaker, if only.

“Now we’re told that the Health Secretary is preparing to resign tomorrow… This resignation is taking so long it would give NHS waiting lists a run for their money.”