Three ministers resign! Starmer is deeply mired in a crisis of stepping down, and a major "palace coup" battle within the cabinet is on the verge of breaking out.

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UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing the most severe political crisis since taking office. Three ministers have resigned in succession, over 70 Labour MPs have publicly called for his resignation, UK government bonds have been sold off, and the pound is under pressure—the market has already cast a vote of confidence in this power turmoil.

On Tuesday, Starmer took a tough stance at a cabinet meeting, declaring he would remain as prime minister and issued a clear challenge to his party rivals: if they want to force him out, they must follow party procedures to gather the signatures of 81 Labour MPs to formally trigger the leadership change process.

Starmer’s tough stance came shortly after Miatta Fahnbulleh became the first minister to resign from his embattled government. Later on Tuesday, Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips and Victims Minister Alex Davies-Jones also resigned in succession.

According to Xinhua News Agency, more than 100 Labour MPs in the House of Commons have signed a statement supporting Prime Minister Starmer to stay in office. Sky News UK reported that Labour’s local election losses indicate the need to regain voters’ trust, and the Labour Party should work together—now is not the time for a leadership contest.

Other media reports said that Deputy Prime Minister Lammy expressed full support for Starmer. Meanwhile, the UK Energy Secretary is preparing to run for Labour leader.

The financial markets reacted swiftly to the political turmoil. The yield on the UK 30-year government bond rose 14 basis points to 5.81%, the highest level since 1998; the pound fell 0.5% against the dollar to $1.354.

Analysts noted that the Tribune Group, Labour’s soft left faction, put forward demands to revise the UK’s debt ceiling target, further intensifying market pressure.

Cabinet Meeting: No Public Challenge, But Undercurrents Remain

Starmer chaired the delicately balanced cabinet meeting at Downing Street. According to media reports, he read a statement at the meeting expressing his intention to remain as prime minister, and no one present raised objections. The agenda then quickly switched to the Iran conflict.

However, beneath the surface calm, internal divisions remain. Starmer indicated he would only talk with ministers individually after the meeting, but in practice, he refused to speak to anyone. His loyalist ministers quickly took the unusual step of accepting media interviews to openly voice their support for the prime minister.

Labour and Pensions Minister Pat McFadden said no one challenged Starmer at the cabinet table, “He will continue to fulfill his duties, just as he should and as the public expects him to.”

Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood have both privately urged Starmer to propose a timetable for an orderly transition. While this is not an open coup, it has undoubtedly further squeezed his political space.

Leadership Struggle: Streeting and Burnham’s Calculations

At present, public attention is focused on Health Minister Wes Streeting to see if he will be the first to launch a formal challenge. Although Streeting has repeatedly said he will not initiate an internal contest, his stance remains uncertain in the current political climate.

Another possible challenge route comes from Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham. Reports suggest Burnham is actively seeking Labour MPs willing to resign their seats so that he can return to parliament via a by-election, paving the way to participate in the potential leadership race.

In terms of numbers, Starmer is still just about holding on. The number of Labour MPs openly supporting him stands at 90, still higher than the number demanding he set a departure timetable.

But with Labour suffering heavy losses in local elections, various party factions have begun laying the groundwork early, each putting forward detailed policy proposals to position themselves for an expected leadership contest, and expectations of a power transition are rising rapidly.

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