Labour MPs Demand Keir Starmer's Resignation After Election Defeat

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces intensifying pressure to resign following devastating losses in the May 7 local elections, where Labour lost over 1,400 council seats. Nearly 100 Labour MPs, including former Health Secretary Wes Streeting, are calling for his departure or a clear timetable for leadership transition. Streeting’s resignation and scathing criticism of Starmer’s premiership marked a significant escalation, bringing the total number of dissenting MPs to 97. Other notable resignations include safeguarding minister Jess Phillips, victims minister Alex Davies-Jones, and several parliamentary private secretaries. While more than 100 MPs have signed a letter supporting Starmer, the surge in backbench and ministerial defections highlights deep internal fractures. Opposition parties, including Reform UK and the Green Party, secured historic wins, capturing their first London councils. Despite the turmoil, Starmer insists he will remain in office. Some critics, such as MP Catherine West, have demanded he step down by September, though threats of a formal leadership challenge have temporarily receded. The crisis underscores the severe political fallout from Labour’s poor performance across England, Scotland, and Wales.