Sawt Falasteen - UK PM Starmer defiant as quit calls grow

The Labour premier also dared any leadership hopefuls to challenge him after Miatta Fahnbulleh become the first junior minister to resign, demanding that he plan his departure.

"The Labour Party has a process for challenging a leader and that has not been triggered," Starmer told ministers during crunch talks over his future.

"The country expects us to get on with governing. That is what I am doing and what we must do as a cabinet," he added, on what has become the most crucial day yet of his almost two-year-old premiership.

- 'Do the right thing' -

More than 70 of Labour's 403 members of parliament have now called for Starmer to quit immediately, or to set out a timetable for his resignation.

Starmer's vow Monday to fight on and prove his doubters wrong did little to calm clamour for his removal.

Fahnbulleh on Tuesday became the first junior minister to do so, calling on Starmer "to do the right thing for the country and the party and set a timetable for an orderly transition".

Interior minister Shabana Mahmood late Monday became the most senior government figure to advise Starmer to consider his position, UK media reported.

Newspapers reported that other senior ministers, including deputy prime minister David Lammy and Yvette Cooper had spoken to Starmer about his position.

- Growing pressure -

Pressure on Starmer has been soaring since Labour suffered disastrous local election results last week, losing hundreds of councillors to the hard-right Reform UK party and left-wing populist Greens.

Labour also lost its century-old dominance in Wales and were hammered by the Scottish National Party in the devolved parliament in Edinburgh.

The results added to a miserable few months for Starmer who has been engulfed in scandal over his decision to appoint -- and then sack -- Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington.

Mandelson was a former friend of US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and Starmer earlier this year fended off calls to quit over his decision to appoint him.

Starmer has also failed to spur promised economic growth to help British citizens suffering with the cost of living.

- Doubters -

On Monday, Starmer pledged that Labour would be "better" and bolder to assuage disgruntled voters impatient for change.

But dozens of Labour MPS later urged him to step down, including four government aides who resigned their positions.

Joe Morris, who was a parliamentary private secretary to Health Secretary Wes Streeting -- widely rumoured to be considering a leadership challenge -- wrote on X that it was "now clear that the prime minister no longer has the trust or confidence of the public to lead this change".

- 'Steadfast' -

Several cabinet ministers backed Starmer after the meeting.

Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said he had her "full support" while Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle said Starmer was "showing really steadfast leadership".

Housing minister Steve Reed also noted that a leadership challenge had not been triggered, "so we all intend to get on with our jobs".

Under party rules, any challenger would need the support of 81 Labour MPs -- 20 percent of the party in parliament -- to trigger a leadership contest.

Starmer has vowed to contest any challenge.

A contest would likely spark damaging infighting, with MPs from the left and right of the party battling to position their preferred candidate or shore up Starmer.

- Who could succeed? -

It has long been rumoured that Streeting and former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner could try to oust Starmer.

But neither is universally popular within Labour.

Another much-touted contender, Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, is unable to stand as he does not have a seat in parliament.

Some of his supporters want Starmer to set a date for his departure that allows their man time to become an MP first.

B.Mahmoud--SF-PST