UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer told his top team Tuesday that he was getting on with governing the country, defying mounting calls from ministers and MPs to step down.
The Labour premier dared any leadership hopefuls to challenge him, but his position looked precarious after two junior ministers resigned from his government, which could trigger a domino effect.
“The Labour Party has a process for challenging a leader and that has not been triggered,” Starmer told ministers during crunch talks over his future, as no one person has stepped forward to challenge him yet.
“The country expects us to get on with governing. That is what I am doing and what we must do as a cabinet,” he added, on what has become the most crucial day yet of his almost two-year-old premiership.
– ‘Do the right thing’ –
At least 80 of Labour’s 403 members of parliament have now called for Starmer to quit immediately, or to set out a timetable for his resignation.
Starmer’s vow on Monday to fight on and prove his doubters wrong did little to calm the clamour for his removal.
