Sir Keir Starmer is holding a crucial cabinet meeting as he fights to stay on as prime minister, less than two years after leading Labour to a landslide election win.
It comes amid a revolt among Labour MPs and calls from ministers for him to draw up an exit timetable after a disastrous set of elections last week.
Sir Keir is holding his weekly meeting with his cabinet, as he faces down calls from his senior ministers to stand down
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is among a number of cabinet ministers urging him to set out a departure timetable
But the prime minister told the Cabinet the country expects Labour to “get on with governing” – throwing down the gauntlet to potential rivals to formally challenge him as Labour leader
No MP has yet launched a formal bid to challenge Sir Keir – a move requiring the backing of 81 colleagues, or 20% of Labour MPs, according to party rules
Starmer tells cabinet he will ‘get on with governing’ and leadership contest has not been triggered
Chris Mason: PM hangs on by a thread as party revolts
More than 70 Labour MPs have publicly urged Sir Keir to resign immediately or draw up an exit timetable
Miatta Fahnbulleh, a communities minister, earlier become the first member of the government to resign
Health Secretary Wes Streeting and former deputy PM Angela Rayner are seen as the most likely challengers among Labour MPs
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham also has support – but would need to become an MP to stand for leader, requiring a more drawn-out contest
The prime minister gave a hastily-convened speech on Monday in a bid to shore up his position
But the move seems to have backfired, with the number of Labour MPs calling on him to go rising steadily in the hours afterwards
The revolt among MPs follows a disastrous set of elections for Labour last week, where it lost almost 1,500 councillors in local elections across England
It was also kicked out of power in Wales and slumped to its worst ever result at a Scottish Parliament election
The elections had been billed as a key test for Sir Keir’s leadership amid dire poll ratings and the row over his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as US ambassador, which has led some MPs to question his judgement.
PA Media
PA Media
