Labour ministers, MPs and mayors rally behind PM amid calls for resignation

Labour ministers, MPs and mayors have rallied behind the Prime Minister after Scottish party leader Anas Sarwar called for Starmer’s resignation.

Following Sarwar’s press conference earlier this afternoon, Cabinet ministers lined up to express their confidence and support for the Prime Minister, including rumoured leadership contenders Wes Streeting and Ed Miliband.

Darren Jones, the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, warned that the coming years will see a choice between a “modern, diverse Britain led by Labour or a dark, divisive Britain under Reform” and urged colleagues to “get behind the Prime Minister, rise to the challenge and deliver a richer, fairer and stronger future”.

Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy was the first among the Cabinet to express support for the Prime Minister on social media.

In a post, he said: “Keir Starmer won a massive mandate 18 months ago, for five years to deliver on Labour’s manifesto that we all stood on. We should let nothing distract us from our mission to change Britain and we support the Prime Minister in doing that.”

‘Not the moment for internal games or headline-chasing’

Cabinet messages of support were followed by several Labour mayors across the country, including London Mayor Sadiq Khan.

Khan said that Starmer “needs to be given time to deliver, especially given the extremely challenging circumstances he inherited after 14 years of Tory governments”.

Similarly, West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker described the Prime Minister as a “decent man doing an incredibly difficult job”, adding: “This is not the moment for internal games or headline-chasing. It is a moment for stability and delivery – and to show the public that we are a serious country with serious leadership.”

Tracy Brabin, Mayor for West Yorkshire, urged her Labour colleagues to “calm down” and warned: “Every moment we turn inwards as a party is a gift to our enemies.”

She called for “stability to deliver on what was promised”, but also said: “Of course we need to be better, more than ever before we need to bring more women into the room, and rise to that challenge together.”

‘Keir Starmer won a mandate from the British people’

Several backbenchers also voiced support for the Prime Minister, including former whip and welfare reform rebel Vicky Foxcroft.

Tipton and Wednesbury MP Antonia Bance urged her colleagues to “unite behind the Prime Minister and get on with delivering for working people”, while former Labour Together director and MP for Makerfield Josh Simons said: “The chance to govern this country is a rare and privileged thing. Keir Starmer won a mandate from the British people to do just that.”

Hemel Hempstead MP David Taylor said it was “maddening” that some in the party would “choose to have completely needless instability at home” when the Prime Minister has been a “vital voice for diplomacy and security”.

READ MORE: Two affiliated trade union leaders call on Starmer to resign as Prime Minister

‘Leadership contest would be wrong and counterproductive’

Centre-left group Tribune argued against a leadership contest, but instead suggested that a reshuffle of the Cabinet was needed.

The group’s executive said: “Turning inward to a leadership contest now would be both wrong and counterproductive when there is still so much vital work ahead. Our focus should remain on delivering the change voters asked for, not distracting ourselves from it.

“At the same time, we must recognise that the public rightly expects change to be felt more quickly, especially in our economy and in living standards. Delivering that change will also require a Cabinet and frontbench that reflect the breadth of views across the Parliamentary Labour Party and the diverse traditions that make up our movement, strengthening both unity and effectiveness as we move forward.”

Although left-wing organisation Momentum did not outwardly call for the Prime Minister’s resignation, they said that an “open and democratic leadership contest” should be held if Starmer resigns.

A spokesperson for the group said: “MPs must ensure members can choose from a full range of candidates. A pluralistic, democratic Labour Party is the only antidote to the poisonous legacy of McSweeney and Mandelson.”

Crawley MP calls on PM to announce departure date

Not all MPs have expressed support for the Prime Minister, however, with Crawley MP Peter Lamb calling for Keir Starmer to announce a departure date.

Writing in The House magazine, Lamb said: “He can wait until May and force the country to endure the chaos of removing a sitting Prime Minister, or he can act now and announce his departure in May.

“Doing so would provide continuity for the country, avoiding the need for an interim Prime Minister, and enable Starmer and his team the opportunity to prepare for the end of his ministry.”

Kate Osborne, Jarrow and Gateshead MP, told ITV Tyne Tees she does not have confidence in the Prime Minister – and hasn’t for some time.

She told the broadcaster: “We need more than damage limitation; we need a complete change at the top and we need an end to the dictatorial and chaotic culture that Starmer is and has presided over as leader.”

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Meanwhile, two Scottish MPs came to blows on social media over their position on the Prime Minister’s future.

After Alloa and Grangemouth MP Brian Leishman said that Keir Starmer should “consider following McSweeney’s lead one last time” and resign, Alison Taylor called on him to stop his repeated criticism of the government.

The MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North said: “You wouldn’t have been elected without him, Brian. This is not a good look, always criticising the government and now the advisors.

“Please for the sake of your fellow Scottish MPs, like me, give it a break this week.”

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