Monday, May 18Monday, May 18On 12.05.2026, two additional ministers resigned from the UK government, increasing pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to step down following Labour’s poor performance in recent local elections. The resignations include Jess Phillips, the safeguarding minister and a close ally of Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who publicly called for Starmer to quit, stating she had grown "tired of seeing opportunities for progress stalled and delayed" . Phillips was the second minister to resign that day, following Miatta Fahnbulleh, and was later joined by Alex Davies-Jones, making her the third minister to step down .
Earlier, Starmer addressed his cabinet, reiterating that he would not resign without a formal leadership challenge, despite mounting calls from within his party. He acknowledged responsibility for Labour’s election losses but insisted he would "fight on" as prime minister . By Tuesday, four ministers had resigned, with over 80 Labour MPs publicly urging Starmer to step down, while 110 MPs signed a letter backing his leadership .
Allies of Wes Streeting, including the resigning ministers, have been particularly vocal in demanding Starmer’s departure. Streeting is scheduled to meet with Starmer on Wednesday amid the escalating crisis . Meanwhile, Starmer’s chief secretary to the prime minister, Darren Jones, has avoided directly addressing questions about the PM’s future in media interviews .
> Background: **UK Labour crisis deepens as Starmer resists calls to resign after election losses** — *43 minutes ago*
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