London, United Kingdom. Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged to continue with plans to reform Britain as dozens of Labour lawmakers urged him to resign following heavy local election losses. He warned that removing him would risk a return to chaos and instability.
Calls for resignation and leadership pressure
Starmer has faced calls to step down from around 90 Labour lawmakers who blame him for the party’s performance in local elections last week and say he has failed to deliver reforms since coming to power in a landslide 2024 election victory. Almost a quarter of his elected lawmakers have called for him to go, and a handful of junior ministers have resigned in protest.
Potential rivals have not yet triggered a formal leadership challenge. Health minister Wes Streeting, seen as a possible rival, met Starmer in Downing Street early on Wednesday for less than 20 minutes, a meeting described by British media as a showdown.
Europe minister Nick Thomas-Symonds, an ally of Starmer, said no candidate appeared to have the backing of enough lawmakers to trigger a challenge and said it did not look likely. “We now have to move on,” he told BBC Radio.
State Opening of Parliament and government agenda
Starmer was set to take part on Wednesday in the State Opening of Parliament, the ceremony led by King Charles in which the government sets out its political priorities and legislative agenda for the year ahead.
“Britain stands at a pivotal moment,” Starmer said in a statement. “To press ahead with a plan to build a stronger, fairer country or turn back to the chaos and instability of the past.”
He said Britons expected the government to focus on cutting the cost of living, bringing down hospital waiting lists and keeping the country safe in an “increasingly dangerous world”.
The government said a package of over 35 bills and draft bills would focus on measures to improve the economy, strengthen national security and “reform the state to support a more active government that is on the side of British people”.
After travelling to parliament and donning the Robe of State, the king will read a speech written by Starmer’s government setting out the planned new laws.
What do you think should be the government’s top priority in the legislative agenda?
