STORY
Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, has reportedly told Cabinet that he has no intentions of resigning, nor of setting a timescale for his departure. The Prime Minister will be hoping that his show of strength will give him time to set out his agenda for Government and unite the party.
The comments made by James Cleverly, the Conservative MP for Braintree, on 12 May 2026.
Starmer cannot survive this, and doesn’t deserve to. He did not have a plan for government. He had no mandate for winter fuel payment cuts, working tax increases, business tas increases, huge benefits increases, family farm tax etc. His political and personal judgement is shockingly poor. He thinks the rules don’t apply to him, he blames everyone else but takes no responsibility himself. Hence the list of people that he appointed and then fired, Mandelson being just the highest profile. The chaos within the Government, the Labour Party, and the country are his fault. Whether he stands down today, or clings on for a while longer, it is clear he won’t lead Labour into the next General Election. Whoever takes over needs to put the country before party and sort this Starmer created mess out.
STORY
John McDonnell has accused Wes Streeting of launching a “coup” against Sir Keir Starmer as Labour’s internal crisis deepened following the party’s poor local election results.
The former shadow chancellor said Streeting was moving against the Prime Minister because he feared a full democratic leadership process that could allow other candidates, including Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, to enter the contest. In a post on X, McDonnell said he had called for “time for serious discussion, no precipitous coup” and a fully democratic process if there was to be a leadership election.
McDonnell said Streeting had instead “launched” a coup while other possible candidates were blocked from standing. He also described the Health Secretary as “Mandelson’s protege” and warned that handing him the leadership would be a “gift to Reform”. Streeting’s allies strongly rejected the accusation, with the Evening Standard reporting that they pointed to the Labour left having moved first against Starmer.
The intervention came ahead of a critical Cabinet meeting, with Starmer fighting to remain in office after more than 70 Labour MPs called for him to resign or set out a timetable for departure. Sky News reported that ministers were meeting as the Prime Minister faced pressure from inside his own Government, while Miatta Fahnbulleh became the first minister to resign and publicly urge him to go.
The comments made by John McDonnell, the Labour MP for Hayes and Harlington, on 12 May 2026.
I called for time for serious discussion, no precipitous coup & fully democratic process if leadership election.Instead Wes Streeting has launched coup for fear of a democratic process & whilst candidates are blocked. Handing leadership to Mandelson’s protege is gift to Reform.
The comments made by Paul Foster, the Labour MP for South Ribble, on 12 May 2026.
I want to see Keir Starmer succeed, because if he succeeds, then the country succeeds too.
Under his leadership, we have seen real successes. He brought stability after a turbulent period in British politics and has been a steady pair of hands during challenging economic and international times. For that, and for his service to both the party and the country, he deserves genuine thanks and respect.
But last week’s heartbreaking election results sent a clear message from the public that we cannot ignore.
Politics is ultimately about listening to the people we serve, even when the message is difficult to hear. The results showed that too many voters feel disconnected from my party and its values, and they are unconvinced that we fully understand their frustrations and concerns.
Unfortunately, after much reflection, the Prime Minister’s speech yesterday did little to reassure me that he has the vision needed to reconnect with the country and rebuild public confidence under his leadership.
We need a leader with the vision to take us into the next chapter; someone who can rebuild trust, reconnect with communities across the country and provide the sense of optimism and hope that people are crying out for, while delivering the change we promised in our manifesto.
It pains me to say this because I am a loyal person by nature, and I do not come to this conclusion lightly. But it is with great regret that I believe the party now needs a change of direction and, ultimately, a new leader.
The comments made by Miatta Fahnbulleh, the Labour MP for Peckham, on 12 May 2026.
Dear Prime Minister,
I am writing to tender my resignation as Minister for Devolution, Faith and Communities.
I am proud of the work that I have done in this Government. First as the Minister for Energy Consumers where I secured energy bill discounts for 6 million families and kick started our Warm Homes Plan; and in my current role where I have rolled out our transformational Pride in Place Programme, delivered a generational shift in power through our English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act, and led our critical work on tackling the rising tide of hate and division in our communities. It has been a privilege to play my part in a government that is working hard at every level to deliver the change that our country needs.
Whilst progress has been made, we have not acted with the vision, pace and ambition that our mandate for change demands of us. Nor have we governed as a Labour Party clear about our values and strong in our convictions. Mistakes such as the winter fuel payment and cuts to the support provided to disabled people have left too many of my constituents doubting our mission. And the message on the doorstep was clear: you, Prime Minister, have lost the trust and confidence of the public.
Our country faces enormous challenges and people are crying out for the scale of change that this requires. The public does not believe that you can lead this change – and nor do I. Therefore, I urge you to do the right thing for the country and the Party and set a timetable for an orderly transition so that a new team can deliver the change we promised the country.
Yours sincerely,
Miatta Fahnbulleh, MP for Peckham
The comments made by John Slinger, the Labour MP for Rugby, on 11 May 2026.
I haven’t ever equivocated or hedged my bets about whether Keir Starmer should remain Prime Minister.
I’ve always been clear: he must stay.
Here’s why.
Keir was the right person to lead Labour after Jeremy Corbyn, the right leader to change the Labour Party and make us electable again, and definitely the right leader in government.
I’ve not supported the Prime Minister for personal gain, nor because I’ve been told to, and certainly not to make myself popular either within the Labour Party or with the public. I’ve done so, and continue to do so, because I believe, sincerely, that Keir is the right person to lead our country.
I completely understand that some colleagues in the Parliamentary Labour Party, the wider party and many members of the public don’t share my view. I respect their views, but I want people to understand why I support Keir Starmer. As a party, and as a country, we need to learn to disagree agreeably. We must set a good example at this difficult time.
What the Prime Minister’s speech told us
Over the last few days, following the local election results, and before the PM’s speech today, I set out my thinking in LabourList and on my Substack. Keir’s speech today has only reinforced my belief that he should stay as Prime Minister.
In the Prime Minister’s speech we saw more of the person, a man from a working class background, who has committed himself to public service. We saw passion, someone who knows that this isn’t just the fight of his political life, but one far more important than that. He said he will “never stop fighting for the decent, respectful, diverse country that I love, I will never give up on the hope we can unlock in this country.” He has accepted responsibility as a leader, but rightly acknowledges that taking responsibility must include responsibility for taking action to resolve things. And finally, the plan: whether on the vital need for us as a country not to go back to the status quo ante after this recent Iran war-related crisis, but to make the long term changes we need to make, or closer ties to Europe, or much more support for our younger and future generations, with far more to come on Wednesday.
A complete break with the past
In moving beyond the status quo, in his speech today, the PM set out that we need a “complete break” with the past. He set out that we need to build a stronger and fairer country. He mentioned renationalising British Steel, he spoke of strengthening ever further our vital relationship with the European Union, and he spoke movingly about the need to offer a brighter future for our young people, in which every young person can realise their potential.
This last point has been one of my priorities since becoming an MP. As long ago as January 2025 I called for a Youth Triple Lock and for more resources and attention to be directed towards young people. I’ve been calling for this repeatedly since then, as well as for a Cabinet level Minister for the Younger and Future Generations.
Action this day
We’ll hear more from the Prime Minister and the government on Wednesday with the King’s Speech, which will set out our legislative programme for the next session of Parliament. The Prime Minister was clear in his speech that we must bring the same urgency with which the government acted over the Scunthorpe steelworks to “everything now”. This is something I wholeheartedly agree with, and I myself called for an “action this day” approach to government that takes a wartime mentality, much like the one that Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones spoke about recently when he said we need the Covid vaccine taskforce model to be applied across Whitehall.
The mainstream parties such as Labour must be able to demonstrate clearly to the public that democratic government should, can and will change their lives for the better, and that impediments to this will be overcome.
Why I oppose calls for the Prime Minister to resign
In addition to what I’ve already written about the Labour leadership, here’s why I support Keir Starmer as Prime Minister and oppose calls for him to resign, or to set out a timetable to resign.
Despite being hugely talented, and potentially being leadership material, none of the alternative leaders mentioned have set out their stall effectively enough on how to resolve the deep-set problems facing our country. What is at stake is the political leadership of the fifth largest economy in the world. The public expect us to treat this accordingly. We seem to be talking about the leadership of the Labour Party as if it’s something that can just be given to people relatively casually, rather like the presidency of a debating society.
Keir Starmer is not an accidental leader. He won a leadership election, reformed the Labour Party to ensure it was electable again, led us through opposition into an election campaign, won a huge majority and has led the country through a difficult period.
Why I wouldn’t support a challenge, even if there were credible alternatives
Even if there were a phalanx of alternatives, of “big beasts”, each capable of being Prime Minister and having set out their strategic vision, I would still not support a leadership challenge. Why?
Firstly, Keir Starmer has been a good leader, a good Prime Minister, who has begun the mammoth task of rebuilding a country reeling from years of underinvestment, deep-set structural problems and a deeply unstable international environment. He’s led a government that has stabilised and grown the economy, invested in public services, begun to carry out the long-term strategic reforms of our health system and our infrastructure, brought down NHS waiting lists, increased workers’ rights and the minimum and national living wage, and much more.
Secondly, the public would not forgive us for plunging the country back into the chaos that beset the last Conservative government, when they thought that replacing Prime Ministers would solve the country’s problems. We need stability and we need a grown-up approach to governing, and also to levelling with the public about the challenges that we face and what will be necessary to resolve them.
Another reason is how this must make us look internationally at a time of great peril overseas. Leaders and populations of foreign countries must be looking on aghast as some of my colleagues consider defenestrating a leader who won a major majority pretty much at the first sign of trouble, less than two years after he won big.
The political moment demands seriousness
We mustn’t replicate in politics, when the stakes are so high, some of the worst elements of the modern age: doomscrolling on social media, doom-headlining in the media, unrealistic demands for simple solutions to complex problems, looking to blame others rather than accept our own responsibility, a lack of decorum in political debate, or allowing frustration to turn into destructive anger and recrimination rather than into resolve to tackle challenges and unlock opportunities.
Pinning all our current problems as a government or as a country on the Prime Minister is unreasonable. It’s about all of us in the Parliamentary Labour Party, and in the wider labour movement, pulling together and accepting our responsibility. The Prime Minister has a responsibility, but so do cabinet ministers, ministers and MPs to set out the vision of this Labour government and to persuade the public about what we are doing. More widely, all of us in the party should now pull together, rally behind this Labour Prime Minister, and this Labour government, which is already delivering huge change in our country.
That is what I will be focused on, in supporting the Prime Minister in doing.
![PRESS RELEASE : PM vows to tear up “status quo” that failed young people on apprenticeships and skills [May 2026]](https://www.ukpol.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/downingstreet-150x150.png)
The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 11 May 2026.
The Prime Minister will meet with apprentices to underline the Government’s drive to overhaul the apprenticeship system, break down barriers to opportunity for young people and ensure the economy works for people in every part of the country.
The Prime Minister will meet with apprentices today [Tuesday 12 May] to underline the Government’s drive to overhaul the apprenticeship system, break down barriers to opportunity for young people and ensure the economy works for people in every part of the country.
Apprenticeships are being placed at the heart of a new approach to skills, giving young people more ways to build secure careers and offering employers the workforce they need to grow.
The Government is now making it even easier for young people to find and access opportunities in one place through JobHelp – bringing together online support on jobs, skills, apprenticeships and training. JobHelp is designed to help young people navigate the system more easily and find routes into work that fit around their needs.
The visit follows the Prime Minister’s speech yesterday, where he set out how the Government is not just fixing what went wrong, but changing how the country works and who it works for. Despite strong headline growth in recent years, too many communities and families have not felt the benefits, and too many young people were left without a clear route into secure, skilled jobs.
For decades, underinvestment in apprenticeships and technical education drove too many young people away from opportunity and left employers without the skills they need. This Government is determined to reverse that failure and place apprenticeships at the heart of a fairer economy.
Central to that mission is the Prime Minister’s ambition for more young people to take part in higher‑level learning – whether academic, technical or through apprenticeships – so that success is no longer defined by a single path, and talent and hard work are recognised in all their forms.
That ambition is now being delivered through a major, previously announced package of reforms to the apprenticeship and skills system. A £1 billion investment will support 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships and high‑quality training over the next three years, helping tackle youth unemployment while boosting economic growth.
Secretary of State for the Department for Work and Pensions Pat McFadden said:
“Too many young people have been locked out of good work and real opportunity. We are changing that and we are already making good on that promise.
“Through apprenticeships, training and the new JobHelp service, we are opening up clear, supported routes into work for young people in every part of the country.
“A stronger, fairer economy is one where every young person has a real chance to succeed, and this Government is delivering that.”
Secretary of State for Education Bridget Phillipson said:
“For too long, young people have been let down by a system that offered too few routes into skilled, well-paid work. That is changing as more people learn the skills and get the hands-on experience that will help them build their careers.
“I believe talent exists everywhere, and opportunity should too. We are building a system that works for every young person, wherever they live and whatever path they choose.”
A cornerstone of the reforms is removing the financial barriers that have held back opportunity for years. The Government will be covering the full cost of apprenticeship training for eligible under‑25s at smaller businesses, by abolishing the 5% co‑investment rate. This change opens up thousands of new opportunities for young people and makes it easier for local employers to grow their workforce and invest in young talent.
The government is also offering businesses £3,000 for every young person aged 18–24 they hire who has been on Universal Credit and looking for work for six months which is expected to support 60,000 young people into work over three years.
This comes alongside a £2,000 Apprenticeship Incentive for each new 16–24‑year‑old taken on by a smaller will help drive progress towards the Government’s ambition of creating 50,000 more apprenticeships for young people.
The Jobs Guarantee is also being expanded from 18–21 to 18–24, creating more than 35,000 additional subsidised jobs and taking the total number of opportunities supported through the scheme to over 90,000 in the next three years.
In March, the government launched a major youth employment drive, backed by a further £1 billion investment in young people. This takes the total investment into the Youth Guarantee and the additional investment in the Growth and Skills Levy to £2.5 billion over the next three years. This will support almost one million young people and help deliver up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn.
The package also includes £140 million for new regional pilots, giving mayors the power to connect young people, including those not in education, employment or training – with apprenticeship opportunities at local employers. Working with regional leaders who understand their economies will ensure training meets real local skills needs.
Employers and learners will benefit from a more flexible system, with new short training courses launched last month in areas such as AI, engineering and digital skills. The Government is also working closely with the defence sector to develop new work‑based training routes, helping build the critical skills needed for the future.
Alongside this, new waves of foundation apprenticeships are being rolled out in sectors including hospitality and retail, creating more entry‑level routes for young people to earn, learn and progress. Taken together, the reforms are simplifying and modernising the apprenticeship system, making it quicker, more flexible and more responsive to employers and learners.
Today’s visit underlines the Government’s commitment to breaking down barriers for young people, restoring pride in place and ensuring that growth and opportunity are felt all across the country.
The comments made by Sam Rushworth, the Labour MP for Bishop Auckland, on 11 May 2026.
As the Labour MP elected for Bishop Auckland with a majority of just over 1,500 votes, I know something about the difficult political landscape facing Labour in the North East. I speak to constituents every week who are struggling with the cost of living, who are worried about public services, and who desperately want to see change after years of Conservative failure.
The Labour Government has already done important things in its first two years. We have delivered the biggest expansion of workers’ rights in a generation, taken serious steps to tackle child poverty, brought rail franchises back into public ownership, set up Great British Energy and started to rebuild the NHS. In County Durham, we have seen investment in our high streets, support for our schools, and a renewed focus on jobs and growth.
But I also know that many people feel impatient. They want change to come faster, and they want to feel that politics is on their side. That is why the message from last week’s elections must be taken seriously. Voters are not giving us a free pass. They are telling us to listen harder, move quicker and make sure that the benefits of a Labour Government are felt in every town and village.
I do not believe the answer is to turn inwards or to spend the next few months arguing with ourselves. The country needs a Labour Government that is focused on delivery, not division. Keir Starmer led our party from its worst defeat in modern times to a landslide general election victory, and he deserves the chance to finish the job of changing Britain.
There will be difficult conversations ahead, and there should be. Labour MPs have a duty to be honest about what is working and what is not. But those conversations must be rooted in the interests of the people we represent, not in Westminster speculation or personal ambition.
My focus remains on Bishop Auckland, the villages and communities across our constituency, and making sure that this Labour Government delivers the change people voted for.
The comments made by Mary Kelly Foy, the Labour MP for the City of Durham, on 11 May 2026.
After listening to the Prime Minister carefully this morning, I’ve decided to offer my honest opinion about the situation we currently find ourselves in.
From as early as September 2024 I tried to issue well intended warnings to colleagues, Regional Office, and senior Labour figures including the party’s own General Secretary, highlighting that some of the key policy decisions being made by Labour were going to cause additional and unnecessary strain on my constituents in Durham and many of the people across the country who voted for us at the 2024 General Election. Those who voted for change, and for hope, following 14 years of crippling austerity.
As local elections in County Durham loomed in the first half of 2025 – less than a year after our spectacular GE victory – the mood amongst the electorate had changed dramatically. Again, I raised my concerns about the catastrophe that would follow.
After the election, and the loss of huge numbers of hardworking Labour Councillors in County Durham, I had urgent calls with senior Labour officials. I also met with Number 10 to outline exactly where Labour had got it wrong. I implored them, again, to change direction; to allow our communities to feel heard and to show them that this Labour Government was on their side.
No one listened.
What seemed like a constant desire to beat Reform at their own game continued. It was a misguided tactic – we don’t win back support by mirroring right wing populist policies or parroting their rhetoric. Especially not when it became clear that Labour was losing more votes to progressive parties to the left than to Reform. Voters in May 2026 responded to those who have clear vision and strong values. Things that Labour sadly do not currently offer.
Backbench MPs like me have felt consistently ignored, disappointingly branded the ‘usual suspects’ who aren’t ‘playing the team game’. As an MP, one of the most difficult decisions you can ever make is to vote against your own party; but when it comes down to it I will always do my best to put the City of Durham constituency first, and be guided by my Labour values.
Due to the misguided efforts of those at the top of Government, division in our communities has increased and the gap between the many and the few continues to grow, and the continued disfunction in Downing Street has led to even the most hardcore Labour voters turning their backs on the party that once was a beacon of hope to working class and marginalised communities.
My heart breaks at the current state of the party I’ve called my political home for my entire life and I’m embarrassed by the never-ending sound bites from Cabinet Ministers stating they don’t hear issues about the leadership on the doorstep. Perhaps they should knock on the same doors I have, but their lack of interest in listening to backbench colleagues has been made abundantly clear.
Apologies won’t cut it any longer. I know I might disappoint some Labour members by saying this, but we’ve reached an existential crisis. Labour lies on its death bed – with the only realistic cure being a change in direction and a change in leadership.
The best thing that could happen now is for the Prime Minister to set out a clear timetable for his departure, and for the process of a fair and democratic leadership election to be agreed.