Keir Starmer’s biographer has described calls for the Prime Minister’s resignation as 'embarrassing' for the United Kingdom, warning that a leadership contest would play directly into the hands of Vladimir Putin. Tom Baldwin, a former Labour Party director of communications and author of Starmer’s biography, blamed the Westminster bubble and the media for falling into what he called a 'self-indulgent bi-annual ritual of forcing a prime minister to quit'.
Speaking to Metro, Baldwin said: 'He is one of the stubbornest, proudest and most obstinate people I have ever met, and he’ll be hating every minute of this. You can see all the reporters rubbing their hands in glee outside of Downing Street, but this is an episode of the Traitors or the FA Cup final – this has real-world consequences.'
Four ministers have resigned following Labour’s poor local election results: Health minister Zubir Ahmed, safeguarding minister Jess Phillips, housing minister Miatta Fahnbulleh, and victims minister Alex Davies-Jones. In a letter to the Prime Minister, Ahmed stated: 'It is clear from recent days that the public across the UK has now irretrievably lost confidence in you as Prime Minister.'
Despite these resignations, Starmer remained defiant, telling his cabinet yesterday that he will not resign. Baldwin commented: 'A leadership election now when we are on the cusp of a global recession and facing war insecurity looks nuts, and proves to the world how unserious we are as a country.'
Since Brexit a decade ago, the United Kingdom has seen five prime ministers, none of whom have lasted until the next scheduled General Election. The longest tenure was Boris Johnson’s at three years and 44 days. With global insecurity rising due to Putin’s continued bombardment of Ukraine, Donald Trump’s hot-and-cold approach to the UK, and the ongoing war in Iran, Baldwin stressed the need for steady leadership.
'I know Starmer feels a duty to the country and doesn’t want to leave it here like this. He has kept us stable as global crises continue, so we should be looking outwards,' Baldwin added.
What Happens If Starmer Resigns as Prime Minister?
The United Kingdom must have a Prime Minister at all times. If Starmer were to offer his resignation, he would likely continue to lead until a replacement is found. This would be done via a Labour leadership election, which would be automatically triggered were Starmer to stand down. The process can take several weeks, meaning the sitting Prime Minister may remain in office for a while even after he has quit his post.
The leadership contest takes place in two stages. First, Labour MPs will put themselves forward as Starmer’s potential replacements. All Labour MPs will then vote to whittle down the options until two candidates remain. At that point, Labour Party members will vote to choose their new leader, who will automatically become Prime Minister.
In his resignation letter, Zubir Ahmed, the Glasgow South West MP, wrote: 'Throughout the entirety of my surgical career, I have been guided by the principles of precision, clarity, candour and above all else an aspiration for excellence. Those are the principles that I have attempted to bring to Parliament and to my ministerial office. And it is those principles that sadly lead me to conclude that your continuation in office is wholly untenable.'
However, as many as 103 backbenchers and government aides have put their name to a statement saying this is 'no time for a leadership contest'. The letter, organised by backbenchers – many from the new 2024 intake – states: 'Last week we had a devastatingly tough set of election results. It shows we have a hard job ahead to win back trust from the electorate. That job needs to start today – with all of us working together to deliver the change the country needs. We must focus on that. This is no time for a leadership contest.'
Starmer reportedly refused to allow further discussion at the cabinet meeting after he insisted he would not resign.
