Cabinet ministers have publicly backed Sir Keir Starmer after the Prime Minister vowed to fight on despite mounting calls for his resignation following poor election results. Several senior figures spoke out in support of the beleaguered Labour leader after he told his Cabinet he would continue governing.
Public Support from Key Ministers
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall, Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle, Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden, and Housing Secretary Steve Reed all expressed their backing for Sir Keir as they faced cameras outside Downing Street after the Cabinet meeting.
Ms Kendall stated: “This Government will do what we were elected to do which is serve the British people. The Prime Minister has my full support in this. There is a process to challenge the leader, nobody has made that challenge, and what people would expect me to do is to focus on how we can grow the economy, tackle the cost of living, and give them a better life.”
Mr McFadden confirmed that no one publicly challenged Sir Keir to step down during the meeting, while Mr Kyle praised the Prime Minister for showing “really steadfast leadership.” Mr Reed added that the PM had his “full support.”
Silent Ministers and Internal Divisions
However, other Cabinet ministers, including those reportedly urging Sir Keir to quit, left without speaking to reporters, highlighting splits within his top team. Health Secretary Wes Streeting, widely seen as a potential successor, ignored journalists’ questions as he departed Number 10.
The Prime Minister’s position remains precarious, with the first ministerial resignation from his Government and a growing number of Labour MPs calling for a clear timetable for his departure. According to Downing Street, Sir Keir told his Cabinet: “I take responsibility for these election results and for delivering the change we promised. The past 48 hours have been destabilising for government, and that has a real economic cost for our country and families. The Labour Party has a process for challenging a leader, and that has not been triggered. The country expects us to get on with governing. That is what I am doing and what we must do as a Cabinet.”
Deepening Woes
Minutes before the Cabinet meeting, Housing, Communities, and Local Government Minister Miatta Fahnbulleh urged the Prime Minister “to do the right thing for the country and the party and set a timetable for an orderly transition,” citing a loss of public trust over issues like the scrapping of the winter fuel payment. Ms Fahnbulleh is a close ally of Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, who reportedly privately advised Sir Keir to consider stepping down last week.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper are also among those said to have held similar conversations with the Prime Minister. Earlier on Tuesday, Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones declined to confirm whether Sir Keir would lead the party into the next general election, stating: “I’m not going to get ahead of any decision the PM may or may not take.”
Market Reaction
The political uncertainty weighed on financial markets, with the cost of long-term government borrowing surging to a fresh 28-year high and the pound weakening on Tuesday morning. However, market movements eased slightly after the public show of support following the Cabinet meeting. Meanwhile, Chancellor Rachel Reeves pulled out of a scheduled speaking event in the City of London.
