Miatta Fahnbulleh, a minister in Keir Starmer’s government, resigned on Tuesday while publicly questioning the British Prime Minister’s leadership and urging him to begin an “orderly transition” within the Labour Party.Fahnbulleh became the first minister in Starmer’s administration to step down openly over concerns about the direction of the government.In her resignation message posted on X, she wrote: “I urge the Prime Minister to do the right thing for the country and the Party and set a timetable for an orderly transition.”She also said the public no longer believed Starmer could deliver the change Labour had promised and argued that a new leadership team was needed to rebuild trust.
Who is Miatta Fahnbulleh?
Fahnbulleh entered Parliament only in 2024, making her resignation particularly significant for a relatively new Labour MP.Before entering frontline politics, she headed the New Economics Foundation, a left-leaning think tank focused on economic and social policy issues.After Labour came to power, she was appointed as a minister under Ed Miliband in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero before later moving to the housing and communities department.Fahnbulleh is regarded as a close political ally of Miliband, adding to the political significance of her resignation within Labour ranks.Notably, while criticising Starmer’s leadership, she stopped short of demanding his immediate resignation and instead pushed for what she described as an “orderly transition”.
Starmer faces mounting resignation calls
The resignation comes as pressure intensifies on Starmer from within his own party following Labour’s disappointing performance in recent local elections across England and Wales.According to media reports, more than 60 Labour MPs have privately and publicly requested Starmer to announce a timetable for stepping down amid fears his leadership could damage the party’s prospects before the next general election.Former junior minister Catherine West is among those reportedly gathering support for leadership change. She said an orderly transition would be best for the party and confirmed efforts were underway to collect signatures from Labour MPs seeking a leadership contest in September.Meanwhile, reports suggest at least 81 Labour MPs have now publicly called for Starmer to quit, although Labour Party rules do not automatically trigger a confidence vote based on such numbers.
Labour setback in local elections fuels internal backlash
The growing rebellion follows Labour’s heavy setbacks in local and devolved elections, which triggered criticism from within the party over Starmer’s political strategy and inability to connect with voters.Several MPs are said to be concerned that the party’s current direction under Starmer could weaken Labour’s standing nationally despite returning to power.The election results have intensified divisions within Labour, with critics arguing the leadership failed to energise core supporters and present a convincing message to voters.
What Starmer said on resignation demands
Responding to calls for his resignation, Starmer insisted he would remain in office and prove his critics wrong.According to Downing Street, Starmer told his cabinet: “As I said yesterday, I take responsibility for these election results and I take responsibility for delivering the change we promised.“The past 48 hours have been destabilising for the government and that has a real economic cost for our country and for families.“The Labour party has a process for challenging a leader and that has not been triggered.“The country expects us to get on with governing. That is what I am doing and what we must do as a cabinet.”