British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has rejected growing calls for a timetable for his resignation, following the heavy loss suffered by the Labour Party in the recent local elections, stressing his intention to continue in his government duties.
Starmer said at a cabinet meeting that he bore political responsibility for one of the party's worst election results, but stressed that no internal measures had been taken to push him to step down, a position that was supported by a number of members of his government.
This comes as tensions rise within the Labour Party, less than two years after Starmer took office, as it faces increasing pressure over declining electoral performance and deepening internal divisions.
Recent hours have seen the resignations of a number of senior party officials, including Jess Phillips, in solidarity with calls from more than 80 Labour MPs who have called for a timetable for the prime minister's departure.
The party is keeping an eye on the positions of a number of its top leaders, including Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who is seen as one of the potential names to compete for the party's leadership in the future.
On the other hand, Reuters quoted one of the party's MPs as saying that "it is inconceivable that the situation will continue like this", while attempts to pressure Starmer face organisational challenges within the party, as the competition for leadership requires the support of at least 81 MPs, which has not yet been achieved, as opposition positions are divided between the left wing and the centre.
Successive government rebellions and resignations
The British government has seen a wave of successive resignations involving four secretaries of state: Jess Phillips, Alex Davies-Jones, Zubair Ahmed, and Miata Fahnboulet, in a move that was seen as a direct message that trust inStarmer' s leadership is rapidly eroding.
At the same time, between 80 and 90 Labour MPs have publicly expressed their support for the demand for Starmer to step down or set a clear date for his departure, in the party's biggest internal rebellion in years.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting, one of the leading potential candidates to lead the party, has reportedly threatened to resign to launch a formal leadership race, after meeting Starmer to inform him of his intentions, raising tensions within the government.
In a bid to contain the crisis, more than 100 Labour MPs were quick to sign a letter of support, saying the time was not right for an internal battle over leadership, while senior ministers such as David Lammy had declared their support for him.
According to government reports, the Prime Minister's Office is currently appointing four new ministers to fill the vacant positions, in an attempt to demonstrate the government's cohesion and ability to continue to run business despite the political storm.
Scenarios for Starmer's removal
Under Labour rules, Starmer could be removed through a no-confidence vote, which would require the signatures of 20% of the party's MPs (81 out of 403) to rally around a single alternative candidate and trigger a leadership election.
Or he could be removed through a mass resignation of senior ministers, which is the most dangerous scenario, according to those involved in British affairs, as it could make Starmer's political position unsustainable and push him to resign under the pressure of the collapse of the government.
The Roots of the Crisis
The crisis erupted following Labour's crushing defeat in the local council elections, losing more than 1,400 seats and losing its historic control of the Welsh Parliament, in light of the remarkable rise of the right-wing Reform Party and the Greens, as these results were seen as a political earthquake that toppled the party's image as a dominant electoral force.
Tarmer is facinga sharp decline in his popularity due to austerity decisions that have angered pensioners, most notably a cut in winter fuel allowances in light of the cost-of-living crisis, and pressure on him has increased after the controversy over the appointment of his close friend Peter Mandelson as Britain's ambassador to Washington, despite the latter's name being linked to the case of convicted billionaire Jeffrey Epstein.