Jess Phillips among four UK Labour ministers to resign as Keir Starmer clings onto position as prime minister

"The Labour leader vowed to fight on at Tuesday's cabinet meeting, and was publicly backed by several loyal ministers. A statement understood to have been signed by more than 100 Labour MPs, and not organised by Downing Street, urged colleagues to come together behind the prime minister. "We must focus on that. This is no time for a leadership contest," the statement said."

"But at least 83 out of Labour's 403 MPs have demanded Mr Starmer's departure after the party's electoral mauling last week, passing the threshold to trigger a leadership contest but without meeting the condition that they all line up behind a single challenger."

""I want to start by first saying that we have worked closely together on Violence Against Women and Girls for many years and I have no doubt you have genuine knowledge and desire to rectify this dreadful social ill. We have started to make steps towards change whilst in government and I have been grateful for your support. "However, it would be remiss of me not to say that real change and direction in this area usually came from threats made by me in light of catastrophic mistakes.""

""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. The desire not to have an argument means we rarely make an argument, leaving opportunities for progress stalled and delayed.""

The prime minister vowed to continue leading and said he would fight on at a cabinet meeting, receiving public backing from loyal ministers. More than 100 Labour MPs signed a statement urging colleagues to come together behind him and warning against a leadership contest. Despite this, at least 83 Labour MPs have demanded his departure after the party’s electoral defeat, meeting a threshold to trigger a leadership contest. The contest would not proceed under a condition requiring all MPs to back a single challenger. A letter reported by Sky News from junior minister Jess Phillips praised the prime minister’s intentions on Violence Against Women and Girls but argued that genuine change requires confronting mistakes and making arguments rather than avoiding conflict.

Read at Irish Independent