Jess Phillips Resigns, Urges Starmer to Step Down
Jess Phillips, a prominent minister in Keir Starmer’s government, has resigned, publicly calling for the prime minister to quit following significant election losses. Phillips expressed frustration over stalled progress within the administration.
Earlier on Tuesday, Starmer addressed his cabinet, affirming his intention to remain as prime minister and stating that the threshold for a leadership challenge had not been met. Phillips is known to be a close ally of Health Secretary Wes Streeting.
“I think you are a good man fundamentally, who cares about the right things, however I have seen first-hand how that is not enough,” Phillips wrote in her resignation letter.
“The desire not to have an argument means we rarely make an argument, leaving opportunities for progress stalled and delayed.”
Miatta Fahnbulleh Also Resigns, Calls for Orderly Transition
The communities minister Miatta Fahnbulleh was the first to resign on Tuesday, similarly urging Starmer to step down. Fahnbulleh, who is close to Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, called for a timetable to facilitate an orderly transition of leadership.
She cited feedback from local election doorsteps indicating that the prime minister had “lost the trust and the confidence of the public.”
Concerns Over Government Inaction on Child Protection
Phillips highlighted specific instances where she believes the government failed to act decisively. She referenced a proposal made over a year ago aimed at preventing children in the UK from taking naked images of themselves, a significant factor in online child sexual abuse.
“Over a year ago I presented solutions, long worked on by brilliant civil servants, that would end the ability for children in the UK to take naked images of themselves. Ninety-one per cent of online child sex abuse is self-generated by children groomed, tricked and exploited into abuse.
“We could stop this abuse. It has taken me a year to get you to agree to even threaten to legislate in this space. Not legislate, just threaten. This is the definition of incremental change. Nothing bold about it. The announcement was meant to be in March.”
Labour Faces Pressure After Poor Election Results
These resignations come more than 80 hours after disappointing election results across England, Wales, and Scotland last week.
Starmer’s Allies Respond to Calls for Leadership Change
Darren Jones, a close ally of Starmer, acknowledged that the prime minister is listening to colleagues requesting a departure timetable but emphasized that Starmer will decide the way forward. Jones cautioned rivals about the challenges of the premiership.
“Anybody who thinks that they can just walk into the job of prime minister and, like the second coming of the messiah, fix all of our problems probably hasn’t really thought carefully enough about how difficult it is,” he said.
When asked if Starmer would lead Labour into the next election, Jones replied:
“I’m not going to get ahead of any decision that the prime minister may or may not take.
He was very clear yesterday that he will not be walking away, as some of my colleagues have asked him to do. We’ve got over 400 Labour MPs in the House of Commons. I think there are now 70 who have raised concerns publicly.”
Senior Labour Figures Advise Starmer on Leadership
understands that senior Labour figures including Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, Defence Secretary John Healey, and Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy spoke with Starmer on Monday. Some advised him to oversee an orderly transition following the election defeats, while others encouraged him to continue leading.
Jones told Times Radio that most MPs want to focus on delivering Labour’s policies amid a complex political landscape marked by the rise of multiple parties.
“We have to work together then as a party in this new political era of five-party politics, of the rise of populist parties in our country, to be able to set the course for winning that next election.”
Regarding the King’s Speech scheduled for Wednesday, Jones confirmed it would proceed as planned.
“Yes, as far as I’m aware, the king’s speech is going ahead tomorrow.
We’ve been working very hard to bring together a programme of bills for the next session that meet the challenges that we face as a country and it’s important that we get on with that work.”
Jones added that the cabinet would meet later Tuesday morning and that Starmer was committed to continuing government work.
“[Starmer] obviously will be in conversations with colleagues because of the issues that they have raised, but he was very clear with himself and with all of us that this morning we would be getting on with the job, and I think that’s the right thing to be doing.”
“Obviously, colleagues are asking the prime minister to consider different options in the future. And, as I say, he rightfully is listening to them. It would be wrong if he wasn’t listening to them.”
Starmer Vows to Fight Leadership Challenge
In a public statement, Starmer declared he would not resign and pledged to prove his critics wrong, committing to fight any leadership challenge.
“I take responsibility for not walking away, not plunging our country into chaos, as the Tories did time and again, chaos that did lasting damage to this country. A Labour government would never be forgiven for inflicting that on our country again,” he said.
Labour MPs Voice Support for Prime Minister
Following the resignations and ongoing debate, some Labour MPs publicly expressed support for Starmer. Neil Coyle criticised colleagues who blamed the prime minister for local election results.
“I was horrified at the elephant trap colleagues are falling into. Those who claimed council elections were about Keir had nothing to offer local communities.”
Nick Smith emphasised the need for political stability amid global crises.
“A global security crisis and its economic impact on our country means we need political stability. Unity is strength.”
