UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing mounting political pressure as divisions deepen within the Labour Party, with four ministers resigning from his cabinet in a single day and more than 70 Labour lawmakers seeking his resignation.
Dr. Zubir Ahmed, an NHS surgeon who served as junior minister for health innovation and safety, became the fourth minister to resign on Tuesday. He accused the prime minister of failing to provide “value-driven leadership” amid falling public confidence. His resignation followed the departure of three other junior ministers earlier in the day.
The growing internal battle has become one of the biggest political tests of Starmer’s premiership, triggered in part by the Labour Party’s losses in the local elections.
Political analysts drew comparisons to the downfall of former Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson. “This is pretty bad for Starmer. It begins to have the feel of exactly how Boris Johnson came unstuck — a growing number of ministers resigning,” one commentator said. “The real question here is how senior will the ministerial resignations go. They are getting a bit more senior. We’ll see where it ends.”
Despite the turmoil, more than 100 Labour MPs have publicly backed Starmer and opposed any leadership contest. UK media reported that the MPs signed a joint statement warning against a leadership battle, saying: “This is not the time for a leadership battle. Rebuilding public trust must begin immediately with all MPs working together to deliver the change the country needs.”
UK Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy reaffirmed his full support for the prime minister, adding that no rival appeared to have enough backing within the party to mount a serious leadership challenge.
“Starmer was elected just under two years ago with a mandate from the British people for five years. He has my full support,” Lammy said. “It’s been 24 hours now and nobody has come forward to put themselves forward in the processes that exist in the party. No one seems to have the names to stand up against Keir Starmer. Let’s get on with the business of running this country and government. That’s what I’ve been doing today. That’s what the prime minister’s been doing.”
Starmer has so far refused to step aside.