One of the Prime Minister’s closest aides has declined to confirm whether Sir Keir Starmer will lead his party into the next general election, as pressure mounts on him to resign following Labour’s poor performance in last week’s local elections.
Minister Avoids Direct Answer
Cabinet minister Darren Jones, the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, stated that Sir Keir is “getting on with the job of being Prime Minister,” despite reports that senior ministers have privately urged him to set out a departure timetable. When asked directly if Sir Keir would lead Labour into the next election, Mr Jones told Sky News: “I’m not going to get ahead of any decision the PM may or may not take.” He emphasised that Sir Keir had been “very clear yesterday that he will not be walking away” and added: “At the front of my mind is that we’re getting up and getting on with the job because I think it’s a dereliction of duty to do anything otherwise.”
Mounting Calls for Resignation
In a speech on Monday intended to outline Labour’s response to the disastrous local election results, Sir Keir vowed to prove his doubters wrong and continue in office. However, the address triggered a wave of public demands from Labour backbenchers for him to step down, including resignations from several junior ministerial aides. So far, 72 of Labour’s 403 MPs have called for the Prime Minister to set out a resignation timeline. The Press Association understands that 80 MPs have signed a letter from former minister Catherine West urging Sir Keir to take this step, with most having publicly expressed a loss of confidence in his leadership.
Downing Street Responds
In a sign that Sir Keir may be planning to resist the pressure, Downing Street announced the appointment of six new ministerial aides on Monday night to replace those who resigned. While some backbenchers have voiced support for the Prime Minister, reports suggest Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has privately advised Sir Keir to consider his position. Other senior ministers are said to have discussed his future ahead of a scheduled Cabinet meeting on Tuesday morning, which was intended to focus on the Middle East crisis.
Internal Discussions Urged
Mr Jones declined to discuss private conversations between Sir Keir and Cabinet ministers but acknowledged that the Prime Minister “obviously will be in conversations with colleagues because of the issues that they have raised.” He appealed to parliamentary colleagues to keep discussions about Labour’s future internal, telling BBC Breakfast: “I would just say to my colleagues: it’d be better to have that conversation internally as opposed to in public, because it detracts from our work as a Government and detracts from the wrongdoings of the other parties.”
Succession Speculation
Doubts about the Prime Minister’s future have sparked speculation about potential successors. Some look to Health Secretary Wes Streeting, while others favour a longer timeline to allow Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham to return to Parliament and enter any contest. On Monday, Sir Keir declined to say whether he would back Mr Burnham’s return to Westminster, claiming it was a matter for Labour’s ruling national executive committee (NEC). The NEC, dominated by Sir Keir’s supporters, blocked Mr Burnham’s bid to contest the Gorton and Denton by-election—a decision former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner said should be “put right.”
Economic Impact
The political uncertainty has had immediate economic repercussions. The cost of long-term government borrowing surged, the pound weakened, and the stock market fell sharply, compounded by the ongoing deadlock between the US and Iran over the Middle East conflict. Mr Jones dismissed talk of Mr Burnham seeking election as “fantasy politics,” adding: “Keir Starmer won a historic majority less than two years ago at the ballot box alongside all of us in the Labour Party.”
