Junior minister Miatta Fahnbulleh resigned from her government post on Tuesday, directly calling on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to set a timetable for his departure. The Peckham MP, who served as minister for devolution, announced her decision in a post on X, urging for an "orderly transition" of power.
In her X post, Ms Fahnbulleh stated: "This morning I sent my letter of resignation to the Prime Minister. I urge the Prime Minister to do the right thing for the country and the Party and set a timetable for an orderly transition." Her departure is seen as a significant blow to the government, particularly as she was considered a rising star with future ambitions.
The political implications of her resignation are notable. Up until now, the process of ministerial departures has largely been driven by allies of Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who is widely expected to launch a leadership bid. However, Ms Fahnbulleh is an ally of Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, who has also remained silent on supporting the Prime Minister and is thought to be eyeing a bid for the leadership himself.
The former communities minister has publicly backed Andy Burnham to take over from Sir Keir Starmer, telling the BBC that the Prime Minister should stay in post while a leadership contest unfolds. "We can't have a stitch up," she said. "If he [Burnham] was in parliament today, I'd be supporting him. He's not and he should be allowed to be."
Ms Fahnbulleh had earlier on Tuesday told the Prime Minister "to do the right thing for the country and the party and set a timetable for an orderly transition", explaining that the public had lost trust in him due to issues such as the scrapping of the winter fuel payment.
