Cabinet split as Mahmood calls on Starmer to set out timetable to go

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. Cabinet split as Mahmood calls on Starmer to set out timetable to go1 hour ago Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleBecky Morton & Jennifer McKiernanPolitical reportersPA MediaHome Secretary Shabana Mahmood is among a number of cabinet ministers calling for Sir Keir Starmer to set out a timetable for his resignation, leading to splits at the top of government. It is understood Mahmood is in the minority in the cabinet over whether Sir Keir should set out a timetable. Six ministerial aides - the lowest rung of government - have been replaced by No 10, after they either quit or called for Sir Keir to set out a timetable for his replacement.

And the tally of Labour MPs calling for Sir Keir to stand down had topped 70 towards midnight on Monday. The cabinet will formally meet first thing on Tuesday morning. The list of ministerial aides who quit on Monday included Joe Morris, Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to Health Secretary Wes Streeting, a potential leadership contender.

The Details

Morris said the prime minister "no longer has the trust or confidence of the public". Melanie Ward, PPS to Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy, Naushabah Khan, PPS to Cabinet Office Minister Darren Jones, and Tom Rutland, PPS to Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds, also resigned. Another two joined calls for Sir Keir to set out a timetable for his departure: Gordon McKee, PPS to Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden, and Sally Jameson, PPS to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood.

There are 72 MPs who have now publicly urged Sir Keir either to resign immediately or set out a timetable to stand down. In a speech earlier, the PM insisted he would prove the "doubters" wrong and would not be quitting. He admitted the government had made mistakes but said it he had "got the big political choices right".

But pressure for him to go intensified through the day, building on calls for a timetable for his resignation from supporters of the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham. Calls have also come from the right of the party, including those close to Streeting, for a swifter departure, which would exclude the chance of Burnham standing for the leadership. Analysis: Has Starmer done enough to save his premiership?

What Experts Say

Labour MP says PM should go but pulls back from leadership challengePressure has been mounting on Sir Keir after Labour lost almost 1,500 councillors in local elections across England, with a surge in support for Reform UK, and the Greens also eating into Labour's support in London and other urban areas. The party was also kicked out of power in Wales, where it had enjoyed political dominance for a century, and returned just 17 of the 129 seats in the Scottish Parliament, its worst ever result at a Holyrood election. In a statement, Morris said Labour councillors and candidates had "ended up taking the blame for decisions that were not theirs".

"Despite the prime minister's best efforts, voters simply do not accept that he can lead the change they voted for," the MP for Hexham said.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.