Britain could change its prime minister again. There have been four in the last four years!
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing one of the worst political crises since taking office after dozens of Labor MPs and several close to the Government called on him to announce his retirement.
Keir Starmer, the British Prime Minister under pressure to resign/PHOTO: EPA/EFE
According to British media, nearly 80 Labor MPs have publicly expressed their lack of confidence in the party leader, and several Cabinet members have suggested that Starmer should set a timetable for his departure from office.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and Justice Minister Shabana Mahmood are among those reported to have asked for a discussion on the prime minister's future.
The crisis deepened after the resignation of four and the replacement of six other ministerial aides by Downing Street, in the context in which some of them announced their support for the change of the party leadership.
The tense situation comes after the poor results obtained by the Labor Party in the local elections
The tense situation comes after the poor results obtained by the Labor Party in last week's local elections, considered a serious alarm signal for the leadership of the formation.
On Tuesday morning, Keir Starmer was due to attend the weekly meeting with the members of the Cabinet, at a time when the British press is talking about a possible direct confrontation between the Prime Minister and his own ministers.
According to Sky News, several members of the Cabinet plan to convey to the Prime Minister that he has lost the support of a large part of the party.
Despite the pressure, none of the potential successors officially joined the rebellion. Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham have so far avoided publicly calling for the Labor leader's resignation.
However, Angela Rayner called for “the changes the country needs” on Monday, a statement interpreted as further pressure on Starmer.
For his part, James Lyons, the prime minister's former communications director, told Times Radio that Starmer's departure seemed “inevitable”.
The British prime minister sought to strengthen his position in a speech on Monday in which he promised to “prove the skeptics wrong” and lead the Labor Party into the next general election.
But he acknowledged voter dissatisfaction and the party's poor results. “The election results were difficult. We lost valuable representatives of the Labor Party. I take responsibility,” Starmer said.
The prime minister warned that another change of leadership could throw the country into a new period of political instability
The Prime Minister warned that another change in leadership could plunge the country into a new period of political instability, comparable to the rapid turnover of Conservative prime ministers in recent years.
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“A Labor government will not be forgiven for repeating that chaos”he stated. In his speech, Starmer tried to bring traditional themes of the British left back to the fore, promising closer relations with Europe and announcing that the government would move forward with the full nationalization of British Steel.
He confirmed that the executive is preparing legislation for state intervention to protect jobs and British industry.
Attack on Nigel Farage
The Prime Minister also criticized the Reform UK party and its leader, Nigel Farage, whom he accused of exploiting public discontent. “He has taken advantage of Britain. He is not just an opportunist, he is an impostor,” Starmer said of Farage.
The crisis within the Labor Party highlights the fragility of the British political scene, marked in recent years by rapid leadership changes and internal conflicts.
In a commentary published by the BBC, the station's political editor notes that in the past four years the UK has already had four prime ministers — Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer — unprecedented instability in recent British politics.
According to the same analysis, the problem for Starmer is not just the MPs' revolt, but the growing perception in the party that the Labor leader is no longer able to mobilize the electorate at a time when the party is trying to counter the rise of Reform UK.
For now, Keir Starmer insists he has no plans to resign. But Tuesday's Cabinet meeting is seen as one of the most difficult moments of his tenure and could decide the Labor leader's political future.
Four premierships in four years
In the past four years, the United Kingdom has had the following premiers:
1. Boris Johnson (July 2019 – September 2022) Party: Conservative. He resigned after a series of political scandals and the loss of support in the party.
2. Liz Truss (September 2022 – October 2022) Party: Conservative. He had the shortest term in office in modern British history after the economic turmoil caused by his tax plan.
3. Rishi Sunak (October 2022 – 2025) Party: Conservative. He took over after the resignation of Liz Truss and led the country in the post-economic crisis period.
4. Keir Starmer (from 2025 – present) Party: Labour. He became Prime Minister after the victory of the Labor Party in the general election.
