3 UK ministers resign as Starmer rejects calls for exit

Britain’s safeguarding minister Jess ​Phillips has resigned from government in protest at Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s leadership.

The other two are Miatta ​Fahnbulleh in the ​housing ​and communities department and Alex Davies-Jones in the justice department.

The ministers’ resignation on Tuesday added to pressure on Starmer ​after a poor performance in ​last week’s local elections.

The exit of Phillips, a well-known lawmaker and women’s rights campaigner, comes ⁠as more than 80 lawmakers ​from the governing Labour Party ​have publicly called on Starmer to set a timetable for his departure.

“The desire not ​to have an argument means ​we rarely make an argument, leaving opportunities ‌for ⁠progress stalled and delayed,” Phillips said in a scathing resignation letter to Starmer.

“I ⁠want a Labour government to work, but I’m ​not seeing the change I ​think ⁠I, and the country expect, and so cannot continue to serve ⁠as ​a minister under ​the current leadership,” she added.

Meanwhile, Starmer defied calls to resign and told ministers he would get on with governing.

Starmer under pressure as 80 lawmakers demand PM’s resignation

However, he remains under intense pressure as support in the wider Labour Party is ebbing away by the hour.

At the cabinet meeting, Starmer, in the top job for less than two years, repeated that, while he took responsibility for one of his Labour Party’s worst election defeats, there had been no official move to trigger a leadership contest.

Several loyal ministers, including defence minister John Healey, expressed their support for him, Reuters reported.

However, all eyes were on a clutch of senior party figures who could potentially move to challenge the prime minister directly.

One of them is health minister Wes Streeting, who has made little secret of his ambition to become prime minister one day.