UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is under increasing pressure from his own Labour Party, with over 60 MPs reportedly urging him to establish a timeline for his resignation following the party’s disappointing results in recent local elections in England and Wales. In response, Starmer has committed to proving them wrong.
Numerous Labour lawmakers have called for a leadership change both privately and publicly, expressing concerns that Starmer’s leadership might negatively impact the party’s chances in the upcoming general election, according to Reuters.
Former junior minister Catherine West is among the prominent figures advocating for this transition.
“Having listened to the Prime Minister’s speech this morning, I appreciate the renewed energy and ideas. However, I have sadly concluded that today’s address was too little, too late,” she remarked in a statement on Monday, May 11.
She emphasized that an “orderly transition” would be the best course of action for the party.
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“I am officially notifying No. 10 (Starmer’s office) that I am gathering the names of Labour MPs who wish to call on the prime minister to set a timeline for the election of a new leader in September.”
The criticism follows Labour’s significant setbacks in local and devolved elections, which raised concerns over Starmer’s political strategy and his ability to connect with the electorate.
Starmer vows to prove doubters wrong
In response to the calls for his resignation, the UK PM asserted that he would demonstrate his naysayers wrong.
“I’m not going to ignore the fact that I have some doubters, including in my own party – and I will not shy away from proving them wrong,” Starmer stated during a speech in London.
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“I accept responsibility for not walking away and for not plunging the country into the chaos that the Tories repeatedly did. Chaos that caused lasting harm to this nation. A Labour government would never be forgiven for doing that to our country again,” he added.
Tenzin Norzom)First Published: May 12, 2026 9:40 AM IST
