SAEDNEWS: Over 100 UK MPs have reportedly called for Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s resignation amid internal Labour Party pressure, election setbacks, a cost-of-living crisis, and growing support for Andy Burnham as a potential successor, with expectations he may step down on Monday.
According to the political service of the Saed News website, the British newspaper The Observer has reported growing expectations that Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, may resign on Monday amid a deep leadership crisis in the ruling Labour Party and increasing political pressure from within its ranks.
The Telegraph also reported that 104 Members of the UK Parliament have called for the Prime Minister’s resignation amid rising pressure within the ruling Labour Party.
Around 100 Labour MPs had previously called for Starmer’s resignation in early May, following heavy defeats for the party in nationwide local elections.
The number of those calling for his resignation increased after Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Manchester, won a by-election on Friday—an outcome widely interpreted as an attempt to remove the Prime Minister.
The newspaper added: “More than 100 Labour MPs have called for Starmer to step down. In total, 104 MPs have demanded a timeline for his departure following Andy Burnham’s victory in the Micklefield by-election.”
Fabian Hamilton, an MP who had so far remained loyal to Starmer, joined the resignation calls and wrote on the X platform: “In the coming days and weeks, the Prime Minister must clarify his plans for stepping down and pave the way for Andy Burnham.”
While Starmer responded on Friday after Burnham’s victory, stating that he would fight any leadership contest and would not resign, The Guardian wrote that ministers close to him in the UK government have said that if the Prime Minister does not set a timetable for his departure by the end of the week, he may be forced out by the Labour Party.
Senior Labour sources told the newspaper they believe that if Starmer does not resign over the weekend or signal openness to a leadership change, intervention could occur in a cabinet meeting scheduled for Tuesday.
One senior party source said: “The Prime Minister cannot repeat the mistake of refusing to speak to his cabinet about his future. He has two options: either allow the cabinet and ministers to openly support his rivals, or end up in the same situation as former Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who saw three Education Secretaries come and go within three days.”
Andy Burnham, who secured a decisive victory in the Micklefield by-election on Friday, is expected to travel to London on Monday to meet Members of Parliament, and it is anticipated that he could become Prime Minister within weeks.
Louise Haigh, the former Transport Secretary who helped run Burnham’s campaign, called on Starmer to “avoid a bitter and unpleasant leadership contest” and to set a timetable for his resignation.
One MP reportedly said they believe around 200 Labour MPs are prepared to sign nomination papers for Burnham if necessary to trigger a leadership contest, even though his supporters had been hoping for a decisive victory.
Meanwhile, other ministers are expected to pressure Starmer over whether entering a leadership contest is the right decision.
Another ministerial source said: “Everyone thinks it is over, and they want a dignified and orderly exit.”
At least two ministers, Ed Miliband, the Energy Secretary, and Shabana Mahmood, the Home Secretary, have already suggested to Starmer that he should set a timetable for stepping down.
However, another minister said: “There comes a time when the question is: what matters most? Loyalty or delivering the programme? Critical issues are at stake, and anyone who fails to see where this is heading will inevitably be the last one standing.”
Two senior Labour figures, David Blunkett and Harriet Harman, have also stated that a timetable for new leadership is necessary.
According to reports, Starmer is facing intense pressure from his own cabinet ministers and senior MPs to avoid a bitter leadership battle and instead set a clear timetable for a transition of power. There are strong indications that Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham is the leading potential successor.
These developments come amid a series of economic crises related to the cost of living, disastrous Labour performances in local elections, and a wave of resignations by several shadow ministers and officials who have described his leadership as “unstable.”
