Kemi Badenoch has posted online.

Chris Curtis, the Labour Growth Group’s parliamentary chairman, said a change of party leadership is “probably coming at this stage”.

The MP told Sky News: “I think that clearly when this number of MPs have come out and said that they think that a change of leadership is required – and I added my voice to that chorus – it’s going to be very difficult to put that genie back into the bottle, and a change of leadership is probably coming at this stage.

“The only question is how quickly it comes about and what that process is.”

Lord Heseltine has warned that any campaign for a new leader of the Labour Party “would be dominated by demands by the left wing to go further to the left.”

Speaking to Sky News the former Thatcher-era Minister said that such a move would “only make things worse.”

The 93-year-old peer infamously challenged Margaret Thatcher for the premiership, and is widely credited for bringing down the most popular non-wartime leader of the Conservative Party in history.

Labour MP Rupa Huq has denied signing a letter in support of the Prime Minister.

More than 100 MPs were listed on the letter, which said it is “no time for a leadership contest”, including Ms Huq, the MP for Ealing Central and Acton.

In a post on X, she said: “Surprised to see my name on this list when I haven’t either signed any letter supporting the PM or called for the PM to go??

“Not very courteous of colleagues to put names down without their approval.”

Ed Miliband is reported to have told Cabinet colleagues that he might stand to replace Sir Keir Starmer if he steps down.

Initially reported in the Times, Mr Miliband is said to be reading himself for a second pop at being Labour leader if Sir Keir steps aside.

He denied the claim, with a source close to him saying: “This is mischief-making – it is categorically untrue that Ed told Cabinet colleagues that he was preparing to stand in case of a contest.”

Donald Trump has warned Sir Keir Starmer he is “windmilling the country to death” and said it was up to the Prime Minister whether or not to quit.

The US president also said the UK needed to get “tough on immigration”.

Speaking at the White House before flying to China, Mr Trump said: “Well, my advice to him has always been, open up your oil in the North Sea.

“You got one of the great oil finds anywhere in the world, and you’re not using it, they’re not allowed to use it, and it’s one of the best in the world, among the best oils in the world.

“Open up your oil in the North Sea and get tough on immigration.

“Europe is being very, very hurt by immigration all over Europe.”

Asked whether the Prime Minister should stay in office or quit, Mr Trump added: “That’s up to him, but I told him from day one, you’re getting killed on energy.

“You’re windmilling your country to death. Open up the North Sea. You have one of the greatest sources of energy in the world.”

Mutinous former Minister, Miatta Fahnbulleh, has said that her resignation was not part of a coup, nor has she spoken to Wes Streeting.

Ms Fahnbulleh was the first minister to step aside from the government, and is considered a close ally of the former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner.

She told Sky News: “I don’t think this is a coup for me. This is a personal decision. It’s a really hard thing for colleagues to go on the record and to say that they have lost confidence in the Prime Minister, that they don’t think he can lead us forward, that is a very personal decision.”

Former Labour minister, Miatta Fahnbulleh, who defected today has told a reporter she wished she could “wave a magic wand and all of this would go away.”

Ms Fahnbulleh stepped down from her ministerial post earlier today and called on Keir Starmer to step aside.

The Mayor of Manchester, Andy Burnham, is holding a covert meeting in London as he tries to get MPs to back him ahead of a leadership challenge.

Mr Burnham arrived in London today, after mounting calls from his cabinet to step aside.

Two Labour sources told the Telegraph that there was a discreet gathering under way between Mr Burnham and MPs who were supportive of his leadership ambitions.

Wes Streeting will hold talks with Sir Keir Starmer tomorrow morning, it has been reported after a rift emerges in the Labour Party.

Neither Sir Keir nor Mr Streeting have made a comment, but Sky News and the Times report that the meeting it expected to take place.

A group of Labour MPs have formed a new socialist group within the party even as it reels factional pressures.

Called ‘Socialism26’, the new group describes itself as “a programme for change inside the Labour Party”.

Among the signatories are Poole MP Neil Duncan-Jordan, North Hertfordshire MP Chris Hinchliff, and Blackpool North and Fleetwood MP Lorraine Beavers.

David Lammy has warned that “navel-gazing” within Labour will benefit Nigel Farage and Reform UK as he reiterated his “full support” for Sir Keir Starmer and urged colleagues to “take a breath”.

The Deputy Prime Minister told reporters outside Downing Street: “(The Prime Minister) was elected just under two years ago with a mandate from the British people for five years.

“He has my full support, and what I say to colleagues is, look, let’s just step back. Take a breath.

“Let’s remember that we have the King’s Speech. We are in Government to do a job of work. It’s been 24 hours now, and nobody has come forward to put themselves forward in the processes that exist in the party.

“No one seems to have the names to stand up against Keir Starmer, and for those who are suggesting that he should stand down, they should say which candidate would be better.”

He added: “I urge colleagues to step back and not benefit Nigel Farage and Reform.”

Shabana Mahmood is not going to resign, sources claim.

The Home Secretary told Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to set out a timetable to step down on Monday.

This led to claims she will step down, as the PM clings on. But an aide told Daily Express Home Affairs Editor Michael Knowles: “She is cracking on with the job.”

Labour’s progress in office is being “dwarfed and undermined by a lack of values-driven leadership at the centre” a resigning minister has said.

In their damning letter Zubir Ahmed said that the public had “irretrievably lost confidence” in Sir Keir Starmer.

He added that in the recent elections “door after door your name was specifically cited as the driving reason why Labour voters of 2024 would not vote for Scottish Labour in 2026.”

Mr Ahmed said that the outcome was now “intolerable” and added the PM must step aside to allow in “new leadership that commands the confidence of our country”.

While the frenzy continues at Westminster, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden have met construction apprentices during a visit to London South Bank Technical College

Zubir Ahmed, another government minister, has stepped down saying he can no longer continue under Sir Keir’s leadership.

He wrote: “It is clear from recent days, that the public across the UK has now irretrievably lost confidence in you as Prime Minister.”

Keir Starmer, Wes Streeting and Catherine West all entered Parliament at the same time. Here they are in happier times.

Housing minister Matthew Pennycook warned against a “descent into chaos” by triggering a formal challenge against Sir Keir Starmer.

He wrote on X: “After last week’s election results, business as usual isn’t an option.

“If we don’t change, we will not be able to deliver on our promise to renew and rebuild our country.

“But recklessly triggering a formal challenge against the Prime Minister risks a descent into chaos.

Angela Rayner plans to back Andy Burnham in a leadership contest if possible, rather than run herself, says journalist Robert Peston.

He writes: “I had not quite realised that Angela Rayner’s statement that the PM should allow Andy Burnham back into Parliament was not a statement about Labour Party democracy. It was Rayner saying she would back Burnham as and when he runs to be Labour leader. Or so I am reliably told.”

However, Rayner could still run if there is no other candidate from the party left, says Peston.

Marie Rimmer comments on speculation regarding her seat.

A planned meeting between the Prime Minister and union leaders on Tuesday has been cancelled.

Leaders of the unions affiliated to Labour – the so-called Tulo group – had been invited to Downing Street for a late afternoon meeting.

But a few hours before it was due to be held, the meeting was cancelled.

More than 100 Labour MPs have signed a statement saying “this is no time for a leadership contest,” sources said.

Former MP Chuka Umunna has just walked into No10.

He was Shadow Business Secretary under Ed Miliband.

Gower MP Tonia Antoniazzi sets out her demand for Starmer to quit

Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, has said the Prime Minister has “my full support in getting on with the job.”

Luke Pollard said he would not be resigning as a minister because “whatever is happening elsewhere in British politics, national security is the first responsibility of Government and something I take very seriously”.

In a series of social media posts which did not mention the Prime Minister by name, the defence minister said: “At a moment of seriousness for our country, defence needs a steady hand.

“I recognise the decisions that many of my colleagues are making about the leadership of our party. I too want bold leadership to deliver the change our country needs.

“With our troops deployed round the world, with threats building towards the UK and our allies, my responsibility as defence minister is to put our country first and provide continuity and consistency for our armed forces and defence sector at a highly uncertain time.

“Whatever is happening elsewhere in British politics, national security is the first responsibility of government and something I take very seriously. That is why I will not be resigning and will be continuing to support our efforts to rearm, rebuild our forces and protect the UK.

At least 82 out of Labour’s 403 MPs have now demanded Sir Keir’s departure after the party’s electoral mauling last week.

In numerical terms, this is above the threshold needed to trigger a leadership contest – but on the important condition that they all line up behind the same candidate, which is not the case at the moment.

But backbench MPs supportive of Sir Keir are understood to be preparing a statement, while several Cabinet ministers have rallied around him.

Sir Keir Starmer plans to stay on as Prime Minister even if a leadership contest takes place – because he believes Labour activists will vote to keep him on as leader, according to reports.

If 81 Labour MPs nominate an alternative candidate, then there will be a leadership contest.

But sources have told The i Paper that the Prime Minister is confident he would win it, and has seen private polling which suggests the party’s membership would back him.

It’s not a crazy idea. It’s still possible Labour members would prefer Sir Keir to a new leader.

News agency Bloomberg reports Andy Burnham has just dropped out of a second conference this week

He had been due to speak at an event in Manchester tomorrow. It comes after he was spotted in London and reports that he’s preparing to meet MPs

A former member of the previous Tory government has just told me that Labour MPs must be “deluded” if they think the Greater Manchester Mayor is going to be thier saviour.

“Burnham is worse than Starmer. He doesn’t have a clue what he stands for – he’s already tried and failed twice to become leader. They must be deluded if they think he’s going to ride in on his horse and make things better. It’s a complete and utter joke.”

Alex Davies-Jones has resigned as victims minister, telling the Prime Minister in a resignation letter to “act in the country’s interest and set out a timetable for your departure”.

She wrote: “It has been the honour of my life to serve His Majesty’s Government as the Minister for Victims and Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls.

“I have been proud to deliver some monumental changes which will help save lives and shift the dial on the conversation.

“However, we have needed to do more and therefore it is with a very heavy heart that I feel I have no choice but to resign.

“The scale of the electoral defeats at the Senedd Cymru and across the United Kingdom have been catastrophic.

“The country has spoken and we must listen.”

She added: “I know you to be a good and honest man. But in my heart are my constituents, the victims I have had the honour of working with every day, including the Hillsborough victims and their families, and all those who demand better of us.

“I implore you to act in the country’s interest and set out a timetable for your departure.”

Welsh MP Alex Davies-Jones, the victims minister, has also now resigned

Former safeguarding minister Jess Phillips accused Sir Keir of failing to act to protect children in her resignation letter.

She said: “91% of online child sex abuse is self-generated by children groomed, tricked and exploited in to abuse.

“The technology exists to stop children being able to take naked images of themselves. We could make this possible on every phone and device in the country. We could stop this abuse.

“It has taken me a year to get you to agree to even threaten to legislate in this space. Not legislate, just threaten.”

There are rumours at Westminster that more resignations are coming.

Sir Keir has made it clear he intends to stay on as Prime Minister. But resignations from his government are designed to put him under pressure to stand down.

Darren Jones, chief secretary to the Prime Minister, took to X to reiterate his support for Sir Keir Starmer after Cabinet, saying “serious times call for serious leadership” and stressing the Government is working to protect families and businesses from “economic shocks”.

The number of Labour MPs calling for Sir Keir Starmer to stand down has reached at least 81 after Jess Phillips resigned as a minister.

In numerical terms, this is the threshold needed to trigger a leadership contest – but on the important condition that they all throw their support behind the same candidate, which is not the case at the moment.

Jess Phillips letter in full.

Jess Phillips said “deeds, not words are what matter”, adding she felt she cannot serve under the Prime Minister.

Her letter, reported by Sky News, continued: “Labour governments come around rarely is the constant refrain at the moment. It’s true they are precious. Every Labour government in my and my family’s lifetime has forged progress that changed our country and the world for the better.

“I know you care deeply, but deeds, not words are what matter. I’m not sure we are grasping this rare opportunity with the gusto that’s needed and I cannot keep waiting around for a crisis to push for faster progress.

“Decency is vital, calm curiosity is also needed, but so too are fight and drive required. Have a row, push back, make arguments, bring people along. Standing up and being counted can’t always be workshopped. Politics is as much about feelings as policy, especially at the moment.

“I want a Labour government to work and I will strive as I always have for its success and popularity, but I’m not seeing the change I think I, and the country expect, and so cannot continue to serve as a minister under the current leadership.”

Safeguarding minister Jess Phillips has resigned.

Darren Jones’s PPSs are circulating a letter to backbenchers – urging them to publicly commit to supporting Keir Starmer as prime minister.

Wes Streeting tried to meet Keir Starmer after the Cabinet meeting but was rebuffed.

The Health Secretary was seen coming out of Downing Street a while after the PM’s Cabinet defenders emerged.

The Daily Express’s David Williamson’s analysis of the morning so far from outside Downing Street.

Andy Burnham is one of the frontrunners to replace Sir Keir Starmer if he resigns as Prime Minister.

The Manchester Mayor has previously indicated he would be willing to overthrow the current Labour leader.

– Vacant seat

Firstly, a vacant parliamentary seat would need to be available and finding one may not be an easy task.

There are two by-elections coming up in Scotland, after both SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn (Aberdeen South) and SNP MP Stephen Gethins (Arbroath and Broughty Ferry) were elected to Holyrood.

Mr Burnham is unlikely to stand in either of these Scottish seats.

– Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee

If a seat were to become vacant, Mr Burnham would need to win over the National Executive Committee (NEC), who is responsible for choosing Labour’s candidates.

In January this year the NEC blocked Mr Burnham from running in Gorton and Denton.

A 10-strong group, including the Prime Minister, voted to deny Mr Burnham permission to stand in the Greater Manchester by-election.

– Leadership ballot

If Mr Burnham were to be elected to Parliament, only then could he make a Labour leadership bid.

According to the Labour Party rule book, candidates seeking to enter the ballot must be an MP.

This is because the Labour leader is the Prime Minister, therefore they would need to be a Member of Parliament.

The current rules state a candidate must receive nominations from 20% of their Labour colleagues in Parliament to be in the running.

They must also receive nominations from 5% of constituency Labour Parties (CLPs), or at least three affiliates of the party, with at least two being trade unions.

Andy Burnham has been removed from the list of speakers for this King’s Fund healthcare conference in London on Tuesday.

Despite this, he has been pictured arriving in the capital.

Andy Burnham has arrived at Euston Station after taking a train to London.

Several MPs are hoping he will replace Sir Keir Starmer who is facing a leadership challenge.

Keir Starmer told his cabinet that he won’t discuss the elections or his leadership, and that he will only speak to cabinet ministers about that individually.

He refused to see cabinet ministers individually afterwards.

A bookie is setting out his odds outside Downing Street. There are few things more serious than choosing a PM but sometimes Westminster does have the atmosphere of a racecourse.

Defence Secretary John Healey said: “People are worried about current conflicts and looming global crises. They expect their government to lead the country through, as the PM is doing. More instability is not in Britain’s interest. Our full focus now must be on dealing with immediate economic & security challenges.”

He added: “Today, I will co-chair a meeting of 40 Defence ministers, to build support for the UK-led mission to secure shipping through the Strait of Hormuz – and announce UK military contributions. We must get on with the job, restoring economic security for families here at home.”

Baroness Jenny Chapman said she was not surprised there was no direct challenge to Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership during Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting.

Speaking to reporters in Downing Street, the international development minister said: “I was not surprised. I didn’t think they would be challenging the Prime Minister at Cabinet.

“We have got a job to do. It’s a really serious task. The Prime Minister is leading us in that task and everybody around that table is completely focused on delivering for this country.”

Asked whether Sir Keir’s authority had been destroyed by those calling for him to go, she said: “I don’t believe so.

“That’s not what I have just seen around the Cabinet table. I saw a Cabinet united and focused on dealing with the issues that are confronting the British people.”

The presence of the Ukrainian flag above Downing St right beside the Union Jack is a powerful reminder that this leadership turmoil of the labour party is taking place at the same time that a European democracy is under invasion from Russia. Starmer will use the simple fact as an argument for why this is a wretched time to change leader. He’ll present himself as somebody who has been at the heart of efforts to sustain support for this fragile country, especially in his attempts to hold the NATO alliance together.

Labour former leadership candidate Rebecca Long-Bailey has called for Sir Keir Starmer to “set out a timetable” for a new leader to be elected.

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, the MP for Salford said the “full range of candidates” must be able to stand.

Sir Keir beat Ms Long-Bailey in the Labour leadership contest in 2020.

She said: “It is clear that Keir must end this chaos and now set out a reasonable timetable for an orderly transition to a new leader.

“We need a calm, open contest that allows the party to debate what has gone wrong, how we win back trust, and the policies needed to transform people’s lives. That contest must allow the full range of candidates to stand, without exclusions or factional manoeuvring.”

Labour Party chairwoman Anna Turley said the Prime Minister had her “full support.”

She did not stop to speak to reporters outside as she left the Cabinet meeting in Downing Street.

Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said the Prime Minister had her “full support”, adding: “There’s a process to challenge the leader. No one has made that challenge.”

Business Secretary Peter Kyle added: “We’ve had a very purposeful cabinet meeting” “Nothing has been triggered” “We are working hard on the big issues facing the country”.He is heading to Brussels now.

John Healey and David Lammy did not speak to the press.

No10 has lined up Cabinet Ministers to emerge from Downing Street and make statements to the media.

Pat McFadden, Pensions Secretary, said Sir Keir was not challenged by anyone in the room at the crunch meeting on Tuesday morning.

Some top ministers, including Wes Streeting, did not speak to the press but walked straight off.

Peter Kyle said they had a “very purposeful” Cabinet meeting this morning.

He said Keir is showing “steadfast leadership”.

The latest YouGov polling is in:

Reform UK: 28% (+3 from 4-5 May) Conservatives: 17% (=) Greens: 16% (+1) Labour: 16% (-2) Lib Dems: 13% (-1) Restore Britain: 3% (-1) SNP: 3% (=) Plaid Cymru: 2% (+1) Your Party: 0% (=)

The Prime Minister told a meeting of the Cabinet: “As I said yesterday, I take responsibility for these election results and I take responsibility for delivering the change we promised. “The past 48 hours have been destabilising for government and that has a real economic cost for our country and for families. “The Labour Party has a process for challenging a leader and that has not been triggered. “The country expects us to get on with governing. That is what I am doing and what we must do as a Cabinet.”

Defence Secretary John Healey, said to be among the Cabinet ministers to tell Sir Keir the game is up, has been spotted arriving in Downing Street.

Andy Burnham’s allies say a seat has been lined up for him to stand with a potential announcement later on Tuesday.

Housing Minister Miatta Fahnbulleh resigned ⁠from government on Tuesday.

The Ed Miliband ally urged the Prime Minister to set out an exit timetable.

The economist-turned Labour minister hails from the left of the party and is close to the Energy Secretary – another contender for Sir Keir Starmer’s replacement.

Fahnbulleh was once an aide to now Energy Secretary Ed Miliband and spent six years heading up one of the country’s leading left-leaning think tanks, the New Economics Foundation (NEF), before becoming an MP.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting, widely seen as one of the instigators in the chaos engulfing the Labour Party, has arrived in Downing Street.

He glanced over at reporters but did not respond as questions were shouted by journalists.

Meanwhile, Defence Secretary John Healey was among the ministers who arrived on their own.

Housing Secretary Steve Reed and Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden both walked into Number 10 within a minute or two of each other without speaking to press.

The letter from ex-Minister Miatta Fahnbulleh demanding Keir Starmer sets out a timetable for his resignation

Shadow Transport Secretary Richard Holden has said that instability in the markets will increase if the Prime Minister fights to hold on to his job.

He told GB News: “The danger really is actually instability and if Keir Starmer stays, I think the instability could even be greater than if he goes, because the truth is that he’s clearly lost control of his parliamentary party.

“It means on anything put forward in the King’s Speech, then actually his back benches could force his position, force him to change position anyway. I think that’s the issue here.

“So that’s why I keep saying it’s yes, it’s about the leadership. Yes, it’s about the driver, but it’s also about the direction of travel. That’s what we really need to see a change in is somebody who understands that the country has been heading the wrong direction under this Labour government, with more regulation, more borrowing, more welfare.

“We’ve got to have somebody who gets that. I don’t know if any of the Labour Party MPs there have even the slightest idea that that’s what really needs to change, but I really hope the good of the country that one of them does.”

81 MPs have now explicitly called for Keir Starmer to quit.

Paul Foster is the latest to take us over the symbolically important threshold – because it represents 1/5th of the Parliamentary Labour Party.

That is the number needed to trigger a contest. Factions are divided over a candidate, but nonetheless an important moment.

Here’s our Political Editor Martyn Brown’s analysis from Downing Street.

It comes ahead of a Cabinet showdown.

Housing, communities and local government minister Miatta Fahnbulleh has resigned, telling Sir Keir Starmer “to do the right thing for the country and the Party and set a timetable for an orderly transition”.

Chief secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones looked over at the dozens of members of press gathered as he walked into 10 Downing Street.

He did not respond to the questions shouted from the other side of the street.

Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander has also arrived at Number 10.

Business Secretary Peter Kyle and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall walked down Downing Street and into Number 10 together.

Deputy Political Editor Steph Spyro has revealed Rachel Reeves has pulled out of a major speech in the City today.

Former Home Secretary Sir James Cleverly said Sir Keir Starmer “doesn’t deserve” to survive as Prime Minister.

He said: “He had no mandate for winter fuel payment cuts, working tax increases, business tas increases, huge benefits increases, family farm tax etc.

“His political and personal judgement is shockingly poor. He thinks the rules don’t apply to him, he blames everyone else but takes no responsibility himself.

“Hence the list of people that he appointed and then fired, Mandelson being just the highest profile.

“The chaos within the Government, the Labour Party, and the country are his fault.

“Whether he stands down today, or clings on for a while longer, it is clear he won’t lead Labour into the next General Election.

“Whoever takes over needs to put the country before party and sort this Starmer created mess out.”

Former Labour shadow chancellor John McDonnell accused Health Secretary Wes Streeting of launching a coup against Sir Keir Starmer.

Writing on social media, the left-winger said: “I called for time for serious discussion, no precipitous coup & fully democratic process if leadership election.

“Instead Wes Streeting has launched coup for fear of a democratic process & whilst candidates are blocked. Handing leadership to Mandelson’s protege is gift to Reform.”

Rachel Reeves has pulled out of a speech she was set to give this morning.

The Chancellor had been set to speaks at a City of London Global Risk Summit at 11 am… and then takes questions from financial journalists.

Our Political Editor Martyn Brown is outside Downing Street this morning.

Cabinet Minister have begun filing in for their crunch meeting at 9.30am.

It could turn into a showdown if Sir Keir’s top ministers call for him to go.

Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy waved at reporters as he walked down Downing Street into Number 10.

Journalists shouted questions but he did not answer as he got out of a car and walked down the street.

The pound also weakened further amid the UK political instability while stocks on the London market dropped sharply on rising oil prices as the US remained in deadlock with Iran over a resolution to end the conflict.

Sterling fell 0.5% to 1.35 US dollars and was 0.2% lower at 1.15 euro.

The FTSE 100 Index dropped more than 1% in opening trade, later settling 95.57 points lower at 10173.86.

The cost of crude continued to edge back up, standing 2% higher at 106.53 US dollars a barrel.

Patrick Hurley, the MP for Southport, says Starmer “shouldn’t be resigning anytime soon” and that a lot of the issues voters are angry about – defence spending, economic growth – will not change “just by having a new prime minister”.

“Destabilising your own government just tends to drive bond yields even higher – no prime minister’s going to be able to change that. I think we should stick with Keir Starmer,” Hurley tells the programme, adding that the focus of MPs and government should be to improve the UK’s economic performance “in order to better fund our public services”.

Darren Jones told Times Radio: “He’s listening to colleagues, and he’s talking to colleagues … I can’t say what decision he may or may not take. I’m not going to get ahead of the Prime Minister’s decision.”

He later told Sky News: “The Prime Minister’s deciding whether to get on with the job… Obviously colleagues are asking the Prime Minister to consider different options in the future and as I say he rightfully is listening to them, it would be wrong if he wasn’t listening to them.”

Chief secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones has said he does not know what conversations Sir Keir Starmer has had with Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood after reports that she privately called for an orderly transition of power.

Mr Jones told BBC Breakfast: “I don’t know what conversation the Home Secretary has or hasn’t had with the Prime Minister … if I did, I wouldn’t be commenting on private conversations.”

He said he still thinks Labour can win the next election “by being on the side of the British people”.

He added: “I would just say to my colleagues: it’d be better to have that conversation internally as opposed to in public, because it detracts from our work as a Government and detracts from the wrongdoings of the other parties.”

The media are assembled outside Number 10 waiting for Cabinet Ministers to arrive in advance of the meeting at 9.30.

Officially, the topics under discussion include the situation in Iran and other government issues – not the leadership. That’s because it’s not what’s called a “political” Cabinet meeting.

But in practice, Keir Starmer’s future is likely to come up in some form.

Darren Jones said “there’s a lot of fantasy politics going on” when asked about the possibility of Andy Burnham returning to the Cabinet.

The chief secretary to the Prime Minister was asked on BBC Breakfast if he could foresee a recognition that Cabinet could benefit from someone “with a lot of electoral support” like the Greater Manchester mayor.

He said: “There’s a lot of fantasy politics going on at the moment, Keir Starmer won a historic majority less than two years ago at the ballot box alongside all of us in the Labour Party.”

He told the programme that he spoke to Sir Keir on Monday night, adding that being Prime Minister “is a gruelling job” and “our job in Cabinet is to support the Prime Minister to deliver on his ambitions for the country, but also to enable him to do his job as well as possible”.

UK long-term borrowing costs have surged higher as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership comes under increasing pressure.

The yield on 30-year UK Government bonds – also known as gilts – jumped as much as 11 basis points to 5.785% in Tuesday-morning trading, edging back up to within touching distance of the 28-year high recorded last week.

The yield on 10-year gilts also rose back above 5%, lifting by 10 basis points to 5.101%, but remains below recent highs reported last month.

Gilt yields move counter to the value of the bonds, meaning their prices fall when yields rise.

Rising yields on these bonds mean it costs more for governments to borrow from financial markets.

Key Labour MPs expected to shape any future leadership contest are demanding a wholesale rethink of the party’s economic platform – with wealth taxes, stamp duty abolition and a diminished Treasury all on the table.

Two influential parliamentary groups have published what amount to rival economic blueprints for a post-Starmer Labour Party, with both sets of proposals expected to be studied closely by those positioning themselves for a leadership race.

Tribune, the soft-left parliamentary grouping, has put forward the more radical of the two visions – calling for the Treasury to be stripped of its growth remit and stamp duty to be abolished in favour of a national land and property levy. Its leader, former transport secretary Louise Haigh, was the first senior Labour figure to publicly push for Starmer to name a leaving date. Tribune is seen as an outrider for Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, who is known to want to challenge Starmer for the leadership.

The centrist Labour Growth Group has taken a different tack, focusing on closing what it calls wealth tax loopholes and redirecting the revenue into a cut of up to 2p in employee national insurance. Its chair, Chris Curtis, added his voice on Monday to those demanding Starmer’s resignation. Both groups count roughly 100 MPs among their membership, with significant crossover.

Darren Jones, the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister and a supporter of Keir Starmer, suggested Sir Keir could make a decision about his future today.

He told Times Radio: “The prime minister is talking to colleagues, obviously a number of them have said publicly yesterday that they want him to take a particular course of action. As any leader would, he’s talking and listening to those colleagues. I can’t get ahead of what the Prime Minister may or may not decide.”

Presenter Stig Abell asked him: “So actually he’s considering setting out a timetable to step down before the next election?”

Darren Jones replied: “He’s listening to colleagues and he’s talking to colleagues. As I say, I can’t get ahead of any decision he may or may not take…It’s for the Prime Minister to decide what he may or may not want to do in the future.”

“It’s right for any leader to listen to members of their team if they want to express their views on these issues. And it’s right that he’s listening to them. I think it’d be worse if he wasn’t.”

Senior figures on Labour’s left are already organising to remove Wes Streeting from Downing Street if he succeeds in replacing Sir Keir Starmer. And insiders have claimed the Health Secretary would lack legitimacy and could be toppled almost immediately. A senior soft-left source told Bloomberg that Team Streeting’s push for a “swift” and “rapid” leadership contest — designed to pre-empt Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham’s return to Parliament — amounts to a “stitch-up” that would doom any Mr Streeting premiership from the start.

They warned: “If Wes thinks he can pull off some kind of stitch-up to avoid a fair process, he will have no legitimacy even if he briefly ends up in office. There would be no support for the government in the Commons and we would challenge him at the first opportunity. He’d be lucky to outlast a lettuce.”

Sir Keir attempted to wrest back the initiative in his speech yesterday, which he shared a clip from on X on Monday.

He also attempted to move the conversation on by highlighting the renationalisation of British Steel – although it seems unlikely to change talk of his future.

Betting markets have revealed that Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham is the clear favourite to become the UK’s next prime minister amid mounting pressure on Sir Keir Starmer. Bookmakers report Mr Burnham leading the field for the role of next prime minister after Sir Keir, with odds shortening to around 2/1 at major firms such as William Hill and Paddy Power.

Angela Rayner, the Deputy Prime Minister, has drifted to around 10/3, while Health Secretary Wes Streeting sits at 5/1. Other contenders, including Nigel Farage at 11/2 and Ed Miliband at 8/1, trail further back. The shift in odds reflects growing speculation that Sir Keir’s position has become untenable after Labour suffered devastating defeats across England, losing control of dozens of councils and more than 1,100 seats.

Darren Jones refuses to say Keir Starmer should continue as PM on Times Radio.

He said it’s the prime minister’s decision what to do, adding: “He’s listening to colleagues and talking to colleagues.”

Speaking on Sky News, he adds: “I’m sad we are in this situation in the first place.

But I’m also optimistic about the future…whilst we face many challenges in the world…I’m still optimistic about Britain’s potential to succeed.”

Sir Keir Starmer faces growing calls to resign as Labour MPs turn on him – check our full list to see if your MP is among the Labour mutineers

Keir Starmer’s Cabinet will meet later this morning on what will be a very tense day for the Prime Minister.

Yvette Cooper was among those who spoke to the PM on Monday night, as did Shabana Mahmood and John Healey.

Ms Cooper did not urge PM to set out timetable to resign, according to reports.

Several “bag carriers” or ministerial aides quite last night but Sir Keir has since replaced them.

80 MPs have signed a letter from Ms West urging Sir Keir to take this step, and most have publicly expressed their loss of confidence in his leadership.

The prime minister is to face a cabinet meeting first thing this morning.

The current Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is among cabinet ministers calling for the PM to set out a timetable for his resignation.

As it stands, currently 72 Labour MPs have publicly urged Sir Keir either to resign immediately or set out a timetable to stand down.

Any leadership challenger would need 20 per cent of Labour MPs to support them, equating to 81 people.

The Press Association understands Defence Secretary John Healey’s message to Sir Keir was that he wanted a chaotic process to be avoided and for the Government to focus on getting the country through the looming risk of geopolitical and economic crises rather than turning inwards.

However, on Monday evening junior health minister Stephen Kinnock said some Cabinet members “may well” call for the Prime Minister to go at Tuesday’s meeting.

Sir Keir Starmer brought a triumphant Labour Party back into Downing Street in July 2024 after more than a decade under the Conservatives.

Now, just 22 months later, his position is looking increasingly precarious after four Government aides resigned and more than 60 backbench MPs called for him to quit over Labour’s disastrous local election results.

Labour MP Jonathan Hinder says that Starmer’s speech was “tone deaf”.

He believes “the prime minister is going”, saying “no prime minister can survive this number of MPs losing confidence in him”.

Hinder told BBC’s Newsnight that he backs a change of leadership, as he criticised Sir Keir’s speech for its reference to free movement of young people in the European Union.

The speech was “at best tone deaf” and “at its worst, downright insulting”, the MP says.

Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven MP Chris Ward said “this is not the time to divide the party or ignore the national interest”.

He added that the elections results were “bitterly disappointing” but the “very worst response would be to plunge the party into a divisive leadership contest”.

Jonathan Hinder, Labour MP for Pendle and Clitheroe, has joined the growing number of MPs calling for Sir Keir Starmer to resign, adding that the Prime Minister “has never been an electoral asset”.

Speaking on BBC’s Newsnight, Mr Hinder said: “The blunt reality is, and every single Labour MP will tell you this, he has never been an electoral asset.

“Our best electoral asset was the unpopularity of the Conservatives and the fact that Reform split their vote and that is why I’m sat here today, most of all, but I don’t underestimate the amount of work he did.

“I think he’s in it for the right reasons. I know his team worked incredibly hard, like we all did, to get us here, but we have to face the facts now.”

He added: “We need a new leader for the Labour Party and our country, most importantly, needs a new leader.”

Tahir Ali, the Labour MP for Birmingham Hall Green and Moseley, said the party was “in crisis” and Sir Keir Starmer should step down as the first step towards “real change”.

A statement posted on social media said: “The recent election results show a party in crisis.

“We’ve drifted away from our core values, picking the wrong battles and targeting the wrong people.

“It is clear the current leadership needs a total change in direction. We can’t keep coasting without a real vision.

“It’s time to stop the excuses and take serious steps to get this party back on track.

“The first step is for Keir Starmer to step down. But that is only the first step, we need to make sure real change follows.”

Number 10 has replaced the ministerial aides who quit tonight, in a sign Sir Keir could yet try to cling on.

Labour MPs David Burton-Sampson, Linsey Farnsworth, Jayne Kirkham, Michael Payne, Tim Roca and Sean Woodcock have been made parliamentary private secretaries after the resignation of Government aides calling for Sir Keir Starmer to stand down.

Sarah Hall, Labour MP for Warrington South, has joined the growing number of MPs calling for Sir Keir Starmer to resign, saying there is “a growing sense of distance between the Government and the people I was elected to serve”.

In a statement on X on Monday evening, she said: “A pattern of poor decisions and unforced errors has created a growing sense of distance between the government and the people I was elected to serve.

“We cannot respond to this moment with another reset, another relaunch or more rhetoric.

“This moment demands radical ambition, unapologetically rooted in the lives of working people.

“The people of Warrington South and across the country want to see a government with purpose, conviction and the courage to change course.

“That is why, for the good of my constituents and the country, I am calling on the Prime Minister to set out a clear timetable for his resignation, with an orderly transition of leadership to take place by September.”

The faction on the left of the Labour Party could try to overthrow Wes Streeting.

A source told Bloomberg: “If Wes thinks he can pull off some kind of stitch up to avoid a fair process that he will have no legitimacy even if he briefly ends up in office. There would be no support for the government in the Commons and we would challenge him at the first opportunity. He’d be lucky to outlast a lettuce.”

Two top cabinet ministers – Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooperand Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood told the PM he should seek an orderly transition of power.

One cabinet minister told the Guardian: “In the end Keir has listened to cabinet ministers – there are differences about where this will go and what is in best interests of party and country. He’ll have to make a decision about what he’s going to do before cabinet tomorrow”.

Maureen Burke, the Labour MP for Glasgow North East, has joined the growing number of discontented MPs calling for Sir Keir Starmer to step down, saying her party is “bigger than one person”.

In a statement posted on X on Monday evening, she said: “When I see communities like mine, in Glasgow North East, turn against the Labour Party in such numbers, we must seek to understand why and refocus our efforts to win back their trust.

“Despite two decades of SNP failure, people were reluctant to give Labour a hearing and told me that they could not, in good faith, vote Labour while Keir Starmer is Prime Minister.

“Our party owes Keir a debt of gratitude for his leadership, but we are bigger than one person.

“With a heavy heart, I am calling on the Prime Minister to set out a timetable for his departure and for our party to have a period of reflection with any and all candidates willing to have the chance to put themselves forward.”

A Labour MP who has called for the Prime Minister to resign said Sir Keir Starmer is a “very narrowing Prime Minister who listens to very few”, and the “seed of his downfall is that he hasn’t engaged” as pressures mount from members for their leader to resign.

Speaking on the Cathy Newman Show on Sky News on Monday evening, Rachael Maskell, MP for York Central, added: “We are all having this discussion. We want Andy (Burnham), how do we do that?”

She said: “Keir Starmer has been a very narrowing Prime Minister who listens to very few and I think that has been really the seed of his downfall is that he hasn’t engaged.

“He’s got things wrong. He made the wrong choices and he still hasn’t engaged with his backbenchers.

“So, I think somebody who understands the breadth of our movement is going to be absolutely crucial to take us into this next chapter of Labour’s history.”

When asked who has those “qualities” mentioned above, Ms Maskell mention the mayor of Greater Manchester, saying: “I’ve been talking about Andy Burnham.”

She added: “I recognise he’s not in Westminster. We are all having this discussion.

“We want Andy, how do we do that? He’s not in Westminster. He needs a seat. If he needs a seat, then it causes a by-election. It is a challenging situation.”

Sir Keir Starmer has just suffered another blow, as a 72nd MP called for him to resign.

Charlotte Nicholls, the MP for Warrington North, said the Prime Minister “doesn’t have the grip” to run the country.

She told LBC: “It’s done, it’s over, it’s time for someone else to come in.”

Ms Nicholls added: “He doesn’t have the grip to deal with the domestic agenda.”

At least 70 Labour MPs have now publicly declared Sir Keir Starmer must step aside.

Pressure really building on the PM, with events moving very quickly.

A fourth Government aide has resigned, joining the dozens of Labour MPs calling for Sir Keir Starmer to stand down following the local elections.

Melanie Ward, MP for Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy, said in a statement on X that the election result in Scotland was “extremely disappointing” and that she was resigning as parliamentary private secretary to the deputy prime minister.

“The election result in Scotland last week was extremely disappointing, especially given the terrible record of the SNP,” Ms Ward said.

“So many or my constituents told me that they could not vote Labour as long as Keir Starmer remains Prime Minister. Their anger at early errors like changes to the winter fuel payment remains palpable. Mistakes on moral issues like Gaza have also not been forgotten by the wider public.

“Keir Starmer did important work to change the Labour Party, and governing in a time like this will never be easy. But the message from last week’s elections was clear; the Prime Minister has lost the confidence of the public.

“Our country faces enormous challenges and we need a Labour government that can deliver the scale of change that this requires. It is clear that the Prime Minister no longer has the trust or confidence of the public to lead this change.

“It is for this reason that I am today resigning as a PPS and calling for Keir Starmer to resign as Leader of the Labour Party and set out a rapid process for the election of a new Leader and Prime Minister.”

Mainstream, which is linked to Andy Burnham, said: “On Friday, we issued a statement calling for an orderly transition and an open, democratic contest in the event of a leadership challenge after Labour’s results on 7th May.

“Tonight, we restate the need for a timetable for an orderly transition to a new leadership. This must include a meaningful debate, with all of Labour’s best players on the pitch, about our party’s future and our offer to the public.

“For the sake of the country, we must get this right.”

Rachel Taylor, the MP for North Warwickshire and Bedworth, joined calls for Sir Keir to go “with a genuinely heavy heart”.

In a statement, she said: “We must now find a new leader who can rebuild trust in our politics, unite the country, and confidently address the real challenges ordinary people are facing every day, as we promised.”

Blue Labour, an internal pressure group, has called for the Prime Minister to set out a timetable for his departure.

The group said in a statement on X: “It’s time for Keir Starmer to set out a timetable for his departure.

“Nothing has convinced us that he is able to rise to the challenge confronting this country.

“As the process unfolds, no candidate should be blocked from standing; the job is too important for factional warfare and NEC machinations.

“Labour must now navigate a very difficult transition to a new prime minister. It must avoid the danger of retreating back into its comfort zone in which it can pretend there are no hard choices and trade-offs in rebuilding the country.

“There is a hard road ahead. The people of our islands are looking for the light at the end of the tunnel.

“The next leader must have a clear programme of government and story to tell the British people about how we will get there.”

A parliamentary aide to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has joined the more than 60 Labour MPs calling for Sir Keir Starmer to resign, saying the message from the local elections was “stark”.

Sally Jameson, MP for Doncaster Central, said the Prime Minister “is a man of deep integrity” but said she now feels he should “set out a clear timetable for his departure in September or shortly after”.

“The message from last week’s elections was stark,” Ms Jameson said.

“Britain faces enormous challenges and we need a Labour government that can deliver change on the scale that my constituents in Doncaster Central and the wider public want to see.

“It is clear that the Prime Minister no longer has the confidence of the public to lead that change.

“Therefore it is with regret that I now feel that the Prime Minister should set out a clear timetable for his departure in September or shortly after. In addition the NEC (National Executive Committee) should ensure that all potential candidates have the opportunity to stand and any timetable, I hope, would reflect this.

“We have three years left of this Parliament to show the British public that we can take on the significant challenges the country faces and be the vehicle for change that so many are asking for. If we squander the time we have the British people will not forget.”

Naushabah Khan told Times Radio that resigning “hasn’t been an easy decision”.

“It’s not something that I’ve taken lightly at all. I’ve been a committed Labour member for years, but I’ve got to the stage where as an MP who was elected in 2024, I’ve got deeply frustrated with how things are working at the minute.

“The reality is, Keir Starmer’s done a fantastic job in leading our party through an election and getting us to where we were in the majority we’ve got and I recognise that completely but unfortunately, these last local elections have shown us that it’s just not working any more when we speak to people out there on the doorsteps, and we hear time and time again that we don’t trust your leader, we don’t support your leader, we can’t back this.”

She said the party needed to “rethink how we do this” to restore people’s support, adding: “I don’t feel that the Prime Minister said enough this morning to be able to address that.”

Labour’s Stella Creasy urged the PM to water down Brexit even more.

She said: “The prime minister is right. We need to get back to the heart of Europe.

“That will never happen whilst the red lines remain on the single market, the customs union and freedom of movement. They need to go now and be seen to go now otherwise it’s a waste of time.”

The Tory leader declared: “Labour had a plan to win power.

“They never had a plan to govern, and they are letting the country down.

“This week, the Conservatives are laying out another stage in our plans for how we would get Britain working again. This is our alternative King’s Speech, a serious and fully funded legislative programme for a Stronger Economy and a Stronger Country.

“There’s more to do but if we were giving the King’s Speech my team would: Leave the ECHR and repeal the Human Rights act so we can secure our borders and stop illegal asylum claims.

“Deliver cheaper energy by scrapping green levies and ideological net zero targets. Strengthen policing with 10,000 more police, tougher stop and search, and immediate justice. Restore the two-child benefit cap, and face to face PIP assessments.

“Back our military by increasing funding to 3% of GDP and protecting our veterans. Help young people by scrapping interest on plan 2 student loans, and getting under 16s off social media.

“And so much more. The country has had enough of this drift.”

Chris Curtis, an ally of Wes Streeting and the chairman of the 100-strong Labour Growth Group, said the PM must set out a timetable to quit.He told Sky: “The moment, the traumatic situation that we faced, the geopolitcal context, the fact that we had such a difficult economic inheritance does mean that we need more radical change than the government has set out so far.

“I don’t think we saw a plan from the PM this morning in order to implement the kind of change this country needs. I therefore think it’s time for us to look for new leadership.

“I think what that means is the PM setting out a timetable and an orderly process for a leadership election and one in which Labour has a discussion about a vision for the country and what changes are needed.”

Sir Keir Starmer must go, Green Party leader Zack Polanski said, as he warned the Prime Minister is “incapable of taking on Reform”.

Responding to Sir Keir’s speech, he said: “Keir Starmer showed today that he still doesn’t understand why voters overwhelmingly rejected Labour on Thursday. People want real change and are fed up to the back teeth with a status quo that has failed the vast majority.

“The Greens’ message about ending the affordability crisis by bringing down bills, building council housing and introducing rent controls resonated with a public that has given up on the failing Labour Government.

“Farage is a dangerous threat to this country, and peddles fake solutions to voters who are also desperate to end this broken political consensus.

“Starmer has shown he’s incapable of taking on Reform. He must go. Only the insurgent Green Party can stop Reform.”

Sir Sadiq Khan has expressed qualified support for Sir Keir Starmer but said he would like to see Andy Burnham return to Westminster.

The Mayor of London told the Press Association: “I’m not somebody calling for a change in leadership, but I am calling for a change in the pace of delivery.

“The Prime Minister, the Chancellor and other members of the Government need to accelerate the pace of delivery.”

Asked whether he thought Greater Manchester Mayor Mr Burnham should be allowed to run for Labour in a potential by-election to become an MP again, he said: “Andy Burnham is an excellent politician. He’s been a great mayor. He’s somebody who wants to return to Parliament. I think he should be able to do so sooner, rather than later.”

Labour MP – Luke Myer – has gone public calling for Starmer to quit, bringing the total so far to 49.

Myer says: “I listened carefully to the Prime Minister’s speech today. I think history will see him as a decent man, but we have to be honest that his leadership is not working. A change is needed.”

Labour former deputy leader Angela Rayner has condemned the decision to stop Andy Burnham returning to Westminster as an MP – and laid the blame on Keir Starmer.

She made the brutal statement as Sir Keir battles to stay in Number 10 following last week’s local election defeats

Chris Curtis – Lab Milton Keynes MP and influential head of the Labour growth group – joining calls for Keir Starmer to go.

He wants the PM to set out a timetable and will be signing the Catherine West letter.

Not backing a candidate – the growth group is putting out a report with their agenda tomorrow.

Angela Rayner turns her aim to the Green Party and Reform UK.

She said nationalists and populists are “not parties for the working class”.

Angela Rayner says Labour should “apologise for our mistakes”

“Let me be honest. We as a party have to do better than this. And we can only prove we mean our Labour values by putting the common interest ahead of factionalism. And we can start by accepting that Andy Burnham should never have been blocked.

“It was a mistake that the leadership of our party should put right.”

Angela Rayner said: “This has not been an easy moment. Our party has suffered historic defeats. Many good Labour colleagues have lost their seats.

… It’s clear that what we’re doing isn’t working and it needs to change.

… People feel hopeless that the cost of living crisis will never end

Former Labour Deputy Leader Angela Rayner is about to deliver a speech at the CWU union conference.

Dear Colleague,

I have listened to the Prime Minister’s speech this morning. I welcome the renewed energy and ideas. However, I have reluctantly concluded that this morning’s speech was too little too late. The results last Thursday show that the PM has failed to inspire hope. What is best for the party and country now is for an orderly transition. I am hereby giving notice to No10 that I am collecting names of Labour MPs to call on the Prime Minister to set a timetable for the election of a new leader in September. I want to thank everyone who has been in contact over the weekend to offer good wishes. We need our best top team in place to fight the next election. We owe working people up and down the country nothing less. Please reply Yes if you think this is the right thing to do. I want to thank everyone who has been in contact over the weekend to offer good wishes. We need our best top team in place to fight the next election. We owe working people up and down the country nothing less. Please reply Yes if you think this is the right thing to do. Your name will not be made public for now.

Best wishes,

Catherine West MP

This morning’s speech was “too little, too late” Catherine West MP has said, as she writes to Labour MP’s to demand a September leadership race.

Sir Keir Starmer’s resignation would not make a difference “electorally”, suspended Labour MP Karl Turner said.

He told Sky News: “Do I want him to go? No, I don’t, not really, what difference is it going to make? It’s not going to make any difference electorally right now.”

The Independent MP for Kingston upon Hull East criticised the Prime Minister for using an autocue during his speech on Monday, saying: “I texted the PM yesterday – we’ve not spoken much in recent weeks and months, because we’ve had a bit of a fallout, which is fairly public – but I said, look, if you go into the room tomorrow and read from autocue, it’s goodnight.

“The Prime Minister had an opportunity today to deliver a speech from the heart. I can do it. I spoke for the last seven minutes without a breath. Why can’t the Prime Minister do it?”

He also said: “There’s nothing in that speech that’s going to get people in East Hull revved up to the point where they’re saying, I wish I’d not voted Reform the other day. And there’s his problem.”

Sir Keir Starmer has again been urged to outline a timetable for his departure by one of his backbenchers.

Labour MP for Nottingham East, Nadia Whittome, wrote on X: “The Prime Minister has yet again failed to learn the lessons of the local elections, doubling down on what he believes he has got right instead of reflecting on what he has got wrong.

“We need a Government that excites people about the future – and that motivates them to choose that future – through real action to tackle the cost of living crisis, rebalancing our economy in favour of working class people, standing up to Reform’s racism and division, and taking principled positions on the genocide in Gaza and other issues of international human rights. Keir Starmer has not proven himself capable of leading such a government.

“I have been calling for a change in leader since November – and for a change in direction for far longer. I am pleased that more of my colleagues are now also willing to make this case publicly.

“However, a change in the leadership of our party and the country must not be a rushed coronation. This process should not just be about choosing a new leader, but a proper reckoning with the problems in Labour’s current political direction and what we need instead going forward.

“Keir should do the responsible thing, for the country and our party, and outline a timetable for his departure with a democratic leadership contest that involves the broad swathe of our party and enables the full breadth of politics and candidates to be represented.”

Sir Keir Starmer’s speech was “sad to watch”, the Conservative Party leader has said. Kemi Badenoch said that the Prime Minister has had “so many resets, even his reset button needs a reset.”

She added:”But I do not take pleasure in watching the Prime Minister flounder. The country needs leadership, not another speech from a man who clearly knows something has gone badly wrong, but still can’t explain why.

“This is Labour’s real problem. It is not just Starmer – all the pretenders jostling for his job do not have the answers either, because they all believe the same things: more welfare, more state control, more borrowing, more regulation. They are busy arguing over who should drive the car, but the truth is they are all heading in the wrong direction. They have no vision for the future.

“What we need is to get Britain working again. That is why I have proposed an alternative King’s Speech with a clear plan to reward effort, cut the cost of government, secure our borders, rebuild industry and back families who do the right thing.

“If Labour are serious about fixing the country they could do all of this tomorrow. Whether they have the bravery or the common sense to do that is a different matter.”

Labour MP Catherine West will not launch a leadership challenge against Keir Starmer She will instead email all Labour MPs seeking their support for a timetable for him to resign in the hope it triggers a leadership contest

Catherine West said on Sky News: “Yes [she will send a letter], it’s asking for support for the timetable [not for her as a candidate) which will test the temperature in parliament among Labour MPs”

Clapham and Brixton Hill Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy wrote on social media after the speech: “It is clear the PM does not have a credible plan. He must now set out a timetable for departure.

“But the process to replace him cannot be a coronation.

“Our next leader must be chosen in a real democratic contest. Otherwise we risk ending up right back where we started.”

Kemi Badenoch, Leader of the Conservative Party, said: “Keir Starmer’s speech was sad to watch. With so many resets, even his reset button needs a reset.

“But I do not take pleasure in watching the Prime Minister flounder. The country needs leadership, not another speech from a man who clearly knows something has gone badly wrong, but still can’t explain why.

“This is Labour’s real problem. It is not just Starmer – all the pretenders jostling for his job do not have the answers either, because they all believe the same things: more welfare, more state control, more borrowing, more regulation. They are busy arguing over who should drive the car, but the truth is they are all heading in the wrong direction. They have no vision for the future.

“What we need is to get Britain working again. That is why I have proposed an alternative King’s Speech with a a clear plan to reward effort, cut the cost of government, secure our borders, rebuild industry and back families who do the right thing.

“If Labour are serious about fixing the country they could do all of this tomorrow. Whether they have the bravery or the common sense to do that is a different matter.”

Backbench Labour MPs have spoken out in support of Sir Keir Starmer following his speech on the Labour Party’s future, saying he has risen to the challenge.

Jack Abbott, Labour MP for Ipswich, told BBC News the Prime Minister showed “real humility and reflection”, adding: “We cannot fall back into this sort of inward looking fight, and I think he was right to look to the country … and speak to the country, as well as to the party.”

David Pinto-Duschinsky, Labour MP for Hendon, told Sky News: “I think what we saw today was a Prime Minister rising to the occasion.

“You heard and saw humility, I think you saw him take responsibility, but you also heard and saw the passion and the complete determination and not just to make incremental change, but to make real substantive, major, radical change.”

In a post on X, Labour MP for Gedling, Michael Payne, said Sir Keir “understands the scale of the challenge and the urgency to act”.

Similarly, Labour MP for Macclesfield, Tim Roca wrote on X: “Clear the PM gets the scale of the challenge, and the impatience people feel for change and bold action. Good to hear that urgency today.”

Sir Keir Starmer’s speech has been branded a “desperate attempt to cling onto power” by campaigners.

Speaking to the Daily Express, John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: Claiming to be on the side of working people after forcing businesses, farmers and families to endure repeated tax rises to pay for increased welfare spending only highlights how out of touch the prime minister really is.

“If he truly wants to turn the fortunes of this country around, he needs to focus on bringing down the ballooning benefits bill and the crushing tax burden.”

“There is some frustration with me,” Sir Keir Starmer has admitted as he takes questions from the media.

He has accepted that there is wider frustration across the country, which he says is “deeply bound in the status quo that has failed us for so many years”.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has described a “battle for the soul” of the UK, as he warned Labour campaigners his party “cannot win as a weaker version of Reform (UK) or the Greens”.

He said: “This is nothing less than a battle for the soul of our nation and I want to be crystal clear about how we will win it because we cannot win as a weaker version of Reform or the Greens.

“We can only win as a stronger version of Labour, a mainstream party of power, not protest.

“And I also want to be really clear on this because I will never stop fighting for the decent, respectful, diverse country that I love – I will never give up on the hope we can unlock in this country, the hope of renters for security in their home, of workers, for fairness at work, of public services free from austerity, the hope of European solidarity, of community pride, of the people who paint over the graffiti that is racist, a country taking control of its future.

“Our spirit unchanged, our resolve unbroken, the hope of a country that can and will become a stronger fairer Britain.”

Promises on Brexit “all proved to be false”, Sir Keir Starmer has claimed.

He added that Brexit “did not work” and what Nigel Farage had promised had turned out not to be true.

He has repeated his claim that Britain must be “at the heart of Europe”.

Sir Keir Starmer has said that stepping aside as Prime Minister would plunge the country into chaos, and that the public are tired of the constant changing of leaders.

Here’s six times he demanded Boris Johnson resign when he was leader of the opposition.

Sir Keir Starmer has said he works “very well” with Andy Burnham, in response to a question from journalists.

He said that the decision to allow, or deny the Mayors right to stand for parliament rests with the powerful National Executive Committee (NEC).

Sir Keir Starmer has torn into the largest democratic vote in British history, Brexit, and said that he will set a “new direction for Britain” by putting the UK “at the heart” of the bloc it voted to leave.

The Prime Minister, who voted for and campaigned to remain, and backed a second referendum, has consistently made an EU reset a major part of his premiership.

Sir Keir told activists and journalists: “At the next EU summit, I will set a new direction for Britain. The last government was defined by breaking our relationship with Europe. This Labour Government will be defined by repairing our relationship with Europe by putting Britain at the heart of Europe.”

Brexit has made us poorer and sent migration “through the roof”, Sir Keir Starmer has said.

He claims that Brexit has made the United Kingdom weaker, and suggested that Nigel Farage refuses to talk about Brexit – saying he is “not just a grifter, he is a chancer”.

He has said that at the next EU summit he will set a “new direction for Britain” and that this Labour will “put Britain at the heart of Europe”.

Starmer has announced that new laws will be introduced to take “full national ownership of British Steel”.

He calls it “urgent government on the side of working people” which he brands a “Labour choice”.

Sir Keir Starmer said Labour would “be better and do better” as he delivered a crunch speech on Monday.

He said local election results were “very tough” and “I take responsibility” for them.

“But it’s not just about taking responsibility for the results,” he added.

“It’s about taking responsibility to explain how as a political and electoral force, we will be better and do better in the months and years ahead.

“Because we are not just facing dangerous times, but dangerous opponents, very dangerous opponents.

“This hurts, not just because Labour has done badly, but because if we don’t get this right, our country will go down a very dark path.”

“So just as I take responsibility for the results, I also take responsibility for delivering the change that we promised for a stronger and fairer Britain that we must build; I take responsibility for navigating us through a world that is more dangerous than at any time in my life.”

Starmer blames Brexit for people being “worried sick”. He then adds that there is always a “desperate attempt to get back to the status quo” as he lays the groundwork for closer relations with the European Union.

“I can see how hard life has been through these decades of crisis,” Sir Keir Starmer has said in a speech in which he railed against the failures of previous governments.

In a packed out venue in central London, the Prime Minister has said he “knows whose side he is one” before naming one of them as his sister, and other “working people”.

He goes on to say that people are “worried sick”.

“Stories beat spreadsheets,” the Prime Minister has said.

“We will make the big arguments,” he goes on to say – calling for Labour values as the only solution to the problems of the country.

He adds that neither NIgel Farage or Zack Polanski offer the “progressive leadership that these times demand”.

Sir Keir Starmer has branded his political opponents “dangerous” and said that if Labour does not do well the country will go down a “dark path”.

He adds that he takes responsibility for “not walking away” and plunging the country into chaos.

Sir Keir suggests that the previous Conservative Government caused chaos with the resignations of Prime Ministers, resignations Sir Keir repeatedly called for when leader of the opposition.

Starmer up next. To more applause he has stepped up to the podium.

“Thank you,” he begins. “We lost some brilliant Labour representatives, that hurts.” he adds.

Sir Keir says he takes responsibility for the result of last week’s election, but says the party must now do better in the months and years ahead.

“To many places and communities are feeling left behind,” the MP has said in her warm up speech for Sir Keir Starmer.

She has said they must address these problems and help left behind towns and cities.

The Prime Minister will be up next, in what is expected to be a landmark speech in his premiership.

Sir Keir Starmer has entered the room to applause from the attendees. A Labour MP is at the podium and will introduce him.

Some shouts of “come on Keir” have been heard by the Daily Express, whose Political Editor Martyn Brown is at the speech.

“I’ve spent the last few months in Wakefield knocking on more doors than I can possibly count,”the MP begins saying how devastating last week’s results had been.

The Prime Minister is not speaking in Downing Street. He is in a central London location decorated with Labour Party branding.

Sir Keir is speaking in central London, to a room full of reporters and members of the press. It does not appear that the entire Cabinet is in the room as well.

Sir Keir Starmer due to speak any moment now.

Pressure is high for the PM to pull off a convincing performance, and stave off doubts from his MPs over the state of his premiership.

A senior Labour MP has warned his party against triggering a leadership contest to remove Sir Keir Starmer.

In a statement, Nick Smith, the MP for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, told his colleagues: “Be careful what you ask for.”

In a rare public intervention, the influential backbencher added: “In their Government years the Conservative Party tore itself apart with leadership battles and our country suffered. Do we want to copy that?

“The world is going through a crisis with the Iranian blockade and war in Ukraine. This has knocked our domestic economy sideways. We need calm heads to get us through this.

“The Prime Minister has the right credentials to get us through these extraordinary times.

“We do need to reflect on the terrible results of last week, but we also need to unite.”

Lord Glasman, founder of Blue Labour, has told Times Radio the rise of support for Reform among the working class is “the mortal threat” to Labour, and there is no way their “estrangement” will be resolved by a speech from Keir Starmer.

He said Starmer’s plan for closer ties with the EU couldn’t be a worse attempt to realign with working class voters:

“This is a decimation in our very heartland. And it’s the estrangement of working class voters from Labour that is absolutely not going to be resolved by a speech realigning with the EU. I can’t imagine anything worse.”

Diane Abbott, who was elected as a Labour MP and is currently an independent MP, said: “In all my time in parliament, I’ve never seen such a crushing defeat for the Labour Party. And the message is clear that Keir must go or at the very least set a timetable.”

A Scottish Labour MP has called for the party’s leadership to stand down after losing seats at the Holyrood election.

Labour sunk to 17 seats last week, but managed to claim joint second with Reform UK.

Speaking on Monday, Alloa and Grangemouth MP Brian Leishman – a frequent critic of the party’s leadership at a UK level – said it was time for leader Anas Sarwar and his deputy Dame Jackie Baillie to quit.

Asked if they should stand down, he told BBC Radio Scotland: “Absolutely.

“There’s talk of a national wave, now don’t get me wrong, Keir Starmer came up very, very regularly on the doorsteps, there has been a national wave against Keir Starmer.”

Campaigners European Movement UK are urging Keir Starmer to announce the UK will rejoin the EU.

Molly Scott Cato, senior vice-chair of European Movement UK and former MEP, said: “Finally, the penny has dropped: Labour has realized that achieving their growth ambition is only possible by restoring our close economic relationship with the EU. For the sake of British industry, British creatives, and especially British young people, we need the Prime Minister to be truly bold and set out a pathway back to EU membership.”

The Prime Minister will today announce plans for closer links with Brussels, but will not say the UK should rejoin.

The Prime Minister will be gone within seven days, Ministers are saying

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham is one of the favourites to replace Keir Starmer – if Sir Keir quits or can be forced out,

But would he actually be any better? Express readers are voting in our poll, which you can find here.

Angela Rayner has issued another stunning intervention. Taking to social media the former deputy Prime Minister has said: “The Prime Minister must now meet the moment and set out the change our country needs.”

Is your MP one of those calling for Keir Starmer to go?

You can check if they are here.

Steve Wright, general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, has just spoken to BBC Breakfast.

“It’s been like a slow car crash over the last few months,” he says. “That’s why I called for Starmer to stand down in February, because I think what we’ve seen in the last few days was inevitable.”

Wright says there needs to be a change of leadership – but he doesn’t want it to be rushed.

“There needs to be an evaluation over what has happened over the last few years… we want to make sure there is a process for someone who can take the party forward and deliver on the promises that were made two years ago.”

A Labour minister has said his party was “convulsed” by the recent local election results and has admitted that Sir Keir Starmer’s latest reset speech is a “big moment” for the Prime Minister.

Peter Kyle, the Business Secretary, said: “Today is a big moment, I’m not saying it’s not… We are convulsed as a party as to what just happened.”

The frontbencher said that Sir Keir was planning closer ties with the EU as part of the reset.

This is what Number 10 has told us about the Prime Minister’s speech in advance:

Keir Starmer today (Monday 11 May) will say that “incremental change won’t cut it” as he vows that “we will face up to the big challenges” the country faces, according to Downing Street.

The Prime Minister has said that he will set out the next steps in his plan to build a stronger and fairer Britain in the coming days and weeks, Number 10 says.

As part of this, he will deliver a speech on Monday where he will say: “To meet the challenges that our country faces incremental change won’t cut it.

“On growth, defence, Europe, energy – we need a bigger response than we anticipated in 2024 because these are not ordinary times.

“Strength through fairness. It’s a core Labour argument. And you will see those values writ large in the King’s Speech. And you will see hope, urgency and exactly whose side we are on.”

He will add: “People need hope. We will face up to the big challenges and we will make the big arguments.

“The Labour case that only Labour values and Labour policies can ensure our country not only weathers these storms but emerges stronger and fairer.”

He will go on to say that Nigel Farage and the Conservatives are “defined by breaking our relationship with Europe”.

He will add: “This Labour Government will be defined by rebuilding our relationship and by putting Britain at the heart of Europe. So that we are stronger on the economy, on trade, on defence, you name it.

“Because standing shoulder to shoulder with the countries that most share our interests, our values and our enemies that is the right choice for Britain, that is the Labour choice.”

Sir Keir Starmer was right to block Andy Burnham’s return to Parliament, a Labour Cabinet minister has said.

It comes as pressure grows on the Prime Minister to step aside following a disastrous set of local elections.

Earlier this year Sir Keir and his allies on Labour’s ruling body stopped Mr Burnham from resigning as Mayor of Greater Manchester to stand in the Gorton and Denton by-election.

When asked if that was the right call, Mr Kyle told LBC’s Nick Ferrari: “That was a decision for the NEC and I think the NEC made the right decision.”

Business Secretary Peter Kyle told Times Radio: “I want eight years of delivering for the people of this country, led by the prime minister that we have now that is actually delivering.

“I think he has faced so many challenges in office. He has met the moment so many times when it comes to the challenges we face on the international scene, fixing our public services, leading a cabinet that is delivering.

“But we recognise that people want more urgency. They want more boldness. And yes, Keir will be setting out how he intends to lead a pathway to that boldness and that delivery.”

Andy Burnham has been told to stay in Manchester, by a senior Cabinet member. Peter Kyle, the business secretary, said that “Andy is not in Parliament because he chose to leave his seat in Parliament and chose to serve the people of Manchester.”

He added: “After the last election he promised to serve a full term in Manchester. I think these sorts of commitments are really important and I urge Andy to really focus on the promises he made. Let’s just see if an opening does open up at any moment in time.”

If Wes Streeting wanted to run for Prime Minister he would not be spending his weekend watching The Devil Wears Prada 2 in the cinema, a Cabinet minister has suggested.

Business Secretary Peter Kyle told Sky News he was campaigning with the Health Secretary in Ilford “last weekend”, adding: “After we campaigned, we went for dinner and we went and saw a movie together.

“Somebody who is planning to pull the plug and launch a leadership bid in a couple of days’ time doesn’t go to the cinema with a friend.”

Asked what film they watched, he said “Devil Wears Prada”, later describing it as “good” and “fun”.

Sir Keir Starmer is “the right person that needs to lead us through this” a Labour Cabinet minister has said.

Peter Kyle, the Business Secretary, issued the defiant rallying cry after the bloodbath last week which saw 1,500 councillors deprived of their seats.

He said that people are “fed-up” following last week’s elections, adding: “Our party is convulsed by the results.”

He told Times Radio: “He is the right person that needs to lead us through this. He needs to really meet the moment that we’re in. We all need to support him in that, because he can’t do it alone.”

Another Labour MP has demanded the Prime Minister resign, with Navendu Mishra telling reporters Sir Keir should set out a timetable for an “orderly transition” to give leadership hopefuls time to come forward.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Mr Mishra said such a move would allow the “best people” in the Labour Party time to “put forward their vision”.

Asked whether he was referring to Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, Mr Mishra said: “I think he’s done some really good things in my constituency of Stockport, and in Greater Manchester, and he has the experience of a previous Labour government, having served in senior roles including in the cabinet.”

Asked about a potential leadership bid from Ms Rayner, he added: “Look, I think she’s from Stockport… if you look at her achievements coming from Stockport, as a trade unionist, a Stockport trade unionist, I think are phenomenal.”

Sir Keir Starmer will lay out today plans for a closer relationship with the European Union as he makes a major speech to try and save his premiership.

The embattled Prime Minister will speak this morning as calls mount for him to step aside after a disastrous set of local elections.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting is reported to be preparing a leadership challenge after weeks of speculation that the MP will try to depose Sir Keir Starmer.

A powerful member of the Cabinet, reports that he wanted the top job have been circulating for months. Years ago, a young Wes Streeting even told the media he saw himself as Prime Minister within the next decade, in a now widely circulated clip.

The Telegraph reported that he was ready to mount the challenge this week, as calls grow for Sir Keir to leave No10.

The list of MPs demanding Sir Keir Starmer step aside is growing, with one MP, Catherine West, directly threatening a challenge.

Over the weekend, the backbench Labour MP made waves for demanding the PM go as pressure mounts on Sir Keir from his own side.

She has said she would challenge if no Cabinet member steps up to the plate.

Yesterday the former Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner, demanded the Prime Minister allow the Mayor of Manchester, Andy Burnham, to return to the commons.

The call came in the wake of Labour’s local elections meltdown, as she accused her former boss of allowing a “toxic culture of cronyism” and accused the PM of failing to help “working people” enough.

Her bombshell statement, released on the eve of Sir Keir giving a make-or-break speech, laid out proposals for an extraordinary Labour shift to the Left.