Pressure mounts on Keir Starmer as health secy exit sparks open revolt

A simmering rebellion against British Prime Minister Keir Starmer burst into the open on Thursday, 14 May, with one senior minister resigning from the cabinet and another positioning herself for a possible leadership bid amid mounting unrest within the ruling Labour Party.

Health secretary Wes Streeting became the first senior minister to quit Starmer’s cabinet, in a move widely seen as the opening salvo in a potential challenge to the prime minister’s leadership.

The resignation comes days after Labour suffered heavy losses in local and regional elections, intensifying pressure on Starmer to step aside less than two years after leading the party to a landslide general election victory.

In a sharply worded resignation letter, Streeting praised Starmer’s foreign policy handling while accusing him of failing to provide political direction at home. “You have shown courage and statesmanship on the world stage — not least in keeping Britain out of the war in Iran,” Streeting wrote. “But where we need vision, we have a vacuum. Where we need direction, we have drift. It is now clear that you will not lead the Labour Party into the next general election.”

Streeting, long viewed as harbouring leadership ambitions, is considered one of the strongest potential contenders to replace Starmer. Another likely challenger, former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, also made a significant political move on Thursday after revealing that she had resolved outstanding issues with tax authorities that had forced her to leave the cabinet last September.

Speaking to The Guardian, Rayner said Starmer should “reflect on” his position and indicated she would be prepared to enter a leadership race if one were triggered. She said she was ready to “play my part” in any contest that might follow Streeting’s resignation.

Discontent within Labour has grown rapidly since last week’s election setbacks, which exposed voter frustration over the government’s failure to improve living standards and revive economic growth. A sluggish economy and persistently high inflation have hampered the government’s ability to deliver on promises made during the 2024 election campaign, fuelling criticism from within the party.

Despite the growing revolt, Starmer has insisted he will remain in office, warning Labour MPs that a leadership battle would throw the government into “chaos” at a time of economic strain and escalating tensions in West Asia.

The prime minister received a modest boost on Thursday after official figures showed Britain’s economy had grown by 0.6 per cent in the first quarter of the year, compared with 0.2 per cent in the previous quarter, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the data demonstrated that the government’s economic strategy was beginning to work. She argued that renewed growth would allow increased spending on public services and support programmes aimed at easing the cost-of-living crisis.

“But that is only possible because of the economic stability that we have brought back to our economy,” Reeves told BBC. “And we shouldn't put that at risk by plunging the country in chaos at a time when there is conflict in the world.”

There was also encouraging news for Streeting politically, as National Health Service waiting lists — a central focus of his tenure as health secretary — fell for a fifth consecutive month.

Streeting and Starmer both belong to Labour’s moderate wing, while Rayner has stronger backing among the party’s left flank and has repeatedly called for higher taxes on the wealthy and stronger measures to raise wages.

Under Labour Party rules, any challenger seeking to force a leadership contest must secure the backing of at least 81 of Labour’s 403 MPs in the House of Commons. More than that number have publicly urged Starmer to resign in recent days.

Speculation has also grown around other possible contenders. Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, has increasingly been mentioned as a potential candidate, although he would first need to return to Parliament before mounting a formal challenge.

According to allies, a sitting Labour MP could resign to allow Burnham to contest a by-election and re-enter the House of Commons. Burnham added to the speculation this week by cancelling his regular Thursday appearance on a local BBC radio programme in order to “prioritise discussions arising from last week's elections”.

With AP/PTI inputs