Starmer to meet Streeting as grip on power loosens after four ministers quit

A fourth minister has quit from Sir Keir Starmer’s Cabinet amid mounting pressure on the Prime Minister to resign.

The number of Labour MPs publicly calling on the Prime Minister to go has now risen to more than 90.

The PM told the Cabinet he would fight on at a crucial meeting this morning.

According to reports he will meet expected leadership rival Wes Streeting tomorrow for talks.

Several members of the Cabinet said they would support the PM as they left Downing Street and no one directly challenged him at the talks.

A letter circulating among Labour MPs which opposes a change of leadership has also gained more than 100 signatures.

However, Peckham MP Miatta Fahnbulleh quit as a Government minister, plunging Sir Keir Starmer's premiership into deeper crisis.

She became the first minister to step down.

She was followed by safeguarding minister Ms Phillips, who told Sir Keir that “deeds not words matter”, with victims minister Alex Davies-Jones also resigning shortly after.

Later, Health minister Zubir Ahmed resigned from the Government, citing a “lack of values-driven leadership”.

Meanwhile Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham was seen arriving in London amid speculation that he might have found someone to stand aside and allow him to return to Westminster to challenge Sir Keir.

Sir Keir has so far battled on in No10 but Westminster was gripped with speculation that he might soon depart.

Keir Starmer to meet leadership rival Wes Streeting as leadership rift deepens
Labour rift over Sir Keir Starmer’s fate deepens as four ministers quit
Streeting to face Starmer in showdown as PM’s leadership crumbles
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New ministers appointed to replace those who resigned
Nesil Caliskan, Natalie Fleet, Catherine Atkinson and Preet Kaur Gill have been appointed as Government ministers to replace those who resigned, while Gen Kitchen, Deirdre Costigan and Shaun Davies have been appointed as Labour whips.

Changing Labour leader will 'only make things worse'
Lord Heseltine has warned that Labour should not seek to change leader as it may ‘make things worse’.

The former deputy prime minister told Sky News that any leadership campaign now would be “dominated by demands of the left wing”.

"I'm afraid I don't see, therefore, any improvement in the situation facing this government,” he told Sky News.

Chris Curtis MP says change of Labour leadership is 'probably coming at this stage'
Chris Curtis, the Labour Growth Group’s parliamentary chairman, said a change of party leadership is “probably coming at this stage”.

The MP told Sky News: “I think that clearly when this number of MPs have come out and said that they think that a change of leadership is required – and I added my voice to that chorus – it’s going to be very difficult to put that genie back into the bottle, and a change of leadership is probably coming at this stage.

“The only question is how quickly it comes about and what that process is.”
Asked if he would like to see Health Secretary Wes Streeting launch a leadership campaign, Mr Curtis added: “There are many talented people who might be interested in running for the Labour leadership.

“I can’t speak for any of them, nor can I speak for any other MPs.

I can only speak for myself.

“Wes is incredibly talented if he were to put his name forward, but I think what we need is we need to ensure that there is an orderly process, a transition that happens as quickly as possible, because we can’t have this dragging out for too long.”
Watch: Trump gives advice to Starmer as MPs call for him to resign
London MP says resignation not part of 'coup'
Former housing, communities and local minister Miatta Fahnbulleh did not resign from the Government as part of a “coup”, she has said.

Speaking on Sky News, Peckham MP Ms Fahnbulleh said she was not working with Health Secretary Wes Streeting – who is widely seen as a leadership hopeful – nor with his aides to bring down Sir Keir Starmer.

She said: “I don’t think this is a coup.

For me, this is a personal decision.

“It’s a really hard thing for colleagues to go on the record and to say that they have lost confidence in the Prime Minister, that they don’t think he can lead us forward.

That is a very personal decision.

“I know each and every colleague will be grappling with what they heard on the doorstep, and those were some tough, brutal messages that we got, and trying to make a judgement about what is best for the country.

“And ultimately, it’s not about a coordinated plot.

It’s about each of us making that decision.”
She added that she hopes that if there is a leadership contest, there is a “proper process” where “a range of people” can set out their vision, but said she did not know if a deal was being done behind closed doors for the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, to return to Parliament.

London MP denies signing letter in support of Starmer
Labour MP Rupa Huq has denied signing a letter in support of the Prime Minister.

More than 100 MPs were listed on the letter, which said it is “no time for a leadership contest”, including Ms Huq, the MP for Ealing Central and Acton.

In a post on X, she said: “Surprised to see my name on this list when I haven’t either signed any letter supporting the PM or called for the PM to go??

“Not very courteous of colleagues to put names down without their approval.”
Andy Burnham could meet with Keir Starmer, David Blunkett suggests
It opens up the possibility that Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham could therefore be meeting the Prime Minister,
Mr Burnham is seen as a likely challenger to be Prime Minister, should he open up a path back into Parliament through a by-election.

He has been in London today where he has been meeting LAbour MPs about a leadership bid, Labour sources have said.

Lord Blunkett told Cathy Newman on Sky News: “I've no reason to believe that Keir Starmer wouldn't talk to Andy Burnham.

Why would he not?”
What are the ways that Starmer can be ousted from No10?

Sir Keir Starmer is trying to hold on to power despite a number of minister resignations and growing number of MPs calling on him to quit.

Several senior ministers have rallied around the Prime Minister and more than a hundred of his MPs have publicly given him their support .

But speculation is mounting that some senior Labour MPs are gearing up to launch a leadership bid.

The Standard’s Chief Political Correspondent Rachael Burford has been looking at the various ways he could be forced out of office.

Read about what could happen here.

Trump says Starmer is 'windmilling the country to death,' but says it was up to him whether or not to resign
Donald Trump has warned Sir Keir Starmer he is “windmilling the country to death” and said it was up to the Prime Minister whether or not to quit.

The US president also said the UK needed to get “tough on immigration”.

Speaking at the White House before flying to China, Mr Trump said: “Well, my advice to him has always been, open up your oil in the North Sea.

“You got one of the great oil finds anywhere in the world, and you’re not using it, they’re not allowed to use it, and it’s one of the best in the world, among the best oils in the world.

“Open up your oil in the North Sea and get tough on immigration.

“Europe is being very, very hurt by immigration all over Europe.”
Asked whether the Prime Minister should stay in office or quit, Mr Trump added: “That’s up to him, but I told him from day one, you’re getting killed on energy.

“You’re windmilling your country to death.

Open up the North Sea.

You have one of the greatest sources of energy in the world.”
Starmer has 'lost the trust and confidence of voters' says minister
Labour MP Miatta Fahnbulleh says the prime minister should set out a timetable for an “orderly transition” to a new leader, as she calls for him to resign.

Ms Fahnbulleh became the first minister to resign earlier today.

Admitting it was a “hard” decision, Ms Fahnbulleh told the BBC it was the “right thing to do”.

The former housing minister told the BBC: “We came into government promising change, people expect that change…they want us to step up and that does require us to have a much bigger vision than we’ve had".