Political pressure on UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has intensified after two Labour MPs resigned from ministerial aide roles and called for him to resign or set a clear timetable for departure, as internal party dissent continues to grow.
Wes Streeting’s ministerial aide Joe Morris and Environment Secretary’s aide Tom Rutland both stepped down, joining a growing list of Labour figures openly questioning Starmer’s leadership following recent electoral setbacks.
Rutland, who was serving as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, said he no longer has confidence in the Prime Minister’s ability to address rising political challenges, including the threat posed by Reform UK.
“It is clear to me that the Prime Minister has lost authority not just within the Parliamentary Labour Party but across the country,” Rutland said in his resignation statement.
He added that while he will continue serving as a backbench MP, he believes Starmer should set out a timetable for departure to allow for new leadership within the Labour Party and government.
Sally Jameson, aide to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, has also joined calls urging Starmer to outline a clear exit plan.
The resignations come as internal Labour tensions deepen, with more than 50 MPs now publicly calling for the Prime Minister either to resign immediately or announce a timeline for stepping down.
Labour backbench MP Catherine West has also urged Starmer to go by September, although she has stepped back from triggering a formal leadership challenge.
Despite the growing dissent, Starmer has insisted he will prove his critics wrong, acknowledging that his government has made mistakes but arguing that it has made the “right big political choices.”
Meanwhile, former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has added to the criticism, saying “what we are doing isn’t working” and suggesting that Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham should not have been blocked from seeking parliamentary office.
Opposition parties have also seized on the internal turmoil. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch described Starmer’s recent response to the crisis as “sad to watch,” but said potential Labour challengers “do not have the answers either.”
“They are busy arguing over who should drive the car, but the truth is they are all heading in the wrong direction,” Badenoch said.
The growing rebellion within Labour follows recent local election losses and increasing pressure on the government over economic performance and political direction, raising questions over the Prime Minister’s authority and the party’s future leadership stability.