Keir Starmer hit with four frontbench resignations as more than 75 Labour MPs call on PM to quit

Four ministerial aides have resigned from Sir Keir Starmer's frontbench, with pressure piling on the Prime Minister to finally quit.

East Worthing & Shoreham MP Tom Rutland, Hexham MP Joe Morris, Gillingham & Rainham MP Naushabah Khan, and Cowdenbeath & Kirkcaldy MP Melanie Ward tonight announced they had lost faith in Sir Keir and were subsequently stepping down from their frontbench roles.

Mr Rutland, who served as the Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds, published a statement on X following his departure.

He wrote: "It is with regret that I believe the Prime Minister should now set out a timetable for his departure and for a new Leader to be chosen to lead the Labour Party and the country.

"It is not compatible to hold this view and continue to serve on the frontbench, so I have resigned as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs."

He said he would continue to represent his "wonderful constituents" from the backbenches.

Mr Morris, PPS to Health Secretary Wes Streeting, said the Prime Minister should set out a “swift timetable” to step aside.

He said: "It is in the best interests of the country and the party that the Prime Minister sets out a swift timetable to ensure that a new leader is in place to regain the confidence of the public and to ensure that the government can deliver on the commitments it has made."

Ms Khan, PPS for the Cabinet Office, confessed in a statement that Sir Keir had “lost the confidence of the public”.

She wrote: "The message from last week's elections was clear: the Prime Minister has lost the confidence of the public."

Cowdenbeath & Kirkcaldy MP Melanie Ward was the fourth to resign from her frontbench position as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Justice Secretary David Lammy.

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In a statement published on X, she wrote: "So many of my constituents told me that they could not vote Labour as Keir Starmer remains Prime Minister.

"It is for this reason that I am today resigning as a PPS and calling for Keir Starmer to resign as Leader of the Labour Party and set out a rapid process for the election of a new leader and Prime Minister."

This comes as almost 80 MPs have denounced Sir Keir as Prime Minister, calling for him to step down.

Any leadership challenge would require the backing of 81 MPs, representing 20 per cent of the parliamentary party, with written nominations submitted to Labour general secretary Hollie Ridley.

Should a challenge succeed in reaching that threshold, Sir Keir would automatically appear on the ballot as the incumbent without needing to gather nominations himself.

If, however, he were to step down voluntarily, a leadership contest would be triggered immediately.

Mr Streeting is poised for a leadership bid, ready to launch his campaign on Tuesday as pressure builds against the Prime Minister, the Independent reports.

His allies have been citing the Health Secretary’s local authority, Redbridge, in which Labour outperformed in last week’s borough elections.

However, Mr Streeting won his Ilford North seat in 2024 with a majority of just 528.

The new vacancies on the frontbench have already been filled - with six new PPSs filling the freshly empty roles.

Labour MPs David Burton-Sampson, Linsey Farnsworth, Jayne Kirkham, Michael Payne, Tim Roca and Sean Woodcock were appointed this evening.