British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing mounting pressure from within his own Labour Party, with more than 60 MPs reportedly urging him to set a timetable for stepping down after the party’s poor performance in recent local elections across England and Wales.
According to the media reports, several Labour lawmakers have privately and publicly called for a change in leadership, amid fears that Prime Minister Starmer’s leadership could hurt the party’s prospects ahead of the next general election.
Former junior minister Catherine West is among those leading efforts to gather support for the change. She said, an orderly transition is best for the party.
She added that she is collecting names of Labour MPs to call on the prime minister to set a timetable for the election of a new leader in September.
The backlash follows Labour’s heavy setbacks in local and devolved elections, which triggered criticism from within the party over Starmer’s political strategy and inability to connect with voters.
Responding to the calls to quit, the UK Prime Minister pledged that he would prove his doubters wrong. Mr Starmer said this while giving a speech in London.