LIVE: Starmer challenges Labour rebels as he refuses to quit

Sir Keir Starmer told his Cabinet that a leadership challenge ‘has not been triggered’ and ‘the country expects us to get on with governing’.

In a statement released by Downing Street, the Prime Minister told a meeting of the 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 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.

Defence Secretary John Healey has warned ‘more instability is not in Britain’s interest’ as he reiterated his support for the Prime Minister in a post on social media.

He wrote on X:

People are worried about current conflicts and looming global crises. They expect their Government to lead the country through, as the PM is doing.

More instability is not in Britain’s interest. Our full focus now must be on dealing with immediate economic (and) security challenges.

by Christian Calgie, Senior Political Correspondent-at-Large

Andy Burnham has a seat lined up and is ready to launch his long-awaited push to become Prime Minister, allies have claimed.

The constituency, a closely-guarded secret, is just one of the major hurdles the mayor of Greater Manchester will have to jump before entering Downing Street should Keir Starmer finally resign.

Support for Mr Burnham has swelled among Labour MPs in recent weeks, despite no one being able to explain a certain route back to Parliament for the ‘King of the North’.

Mr Burnham quit the Commons in 2017 to take the plum job in Manchester, after two unsuccessful runs to be Labour leader – once in 2010 and once in 2015 – and a major falling out with Jeremy Corbyn.

But the longtime leadership contender is now hoping it will be third time lucky for him, as top figures like Angela Rayner say the next leadership contest must allow him to stand.

Baroness Jenny Chapman said she was not surprised there was no direct challenge to Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership during today’s Cabinet meeting.

Speaking to reporters in Downing Street, the international development minister said:

I was not surprised. I didn’t think they would be challenging the Prime Minister at Cabinet. We have got a job to do. It’s a really serious task. The Prime Minister is leading us in that task and everybody around that table is completely focused on delivering for this country.

Asked whether Sir Keir’s authority had been destroyed by those calling for him to go, she said:

I don’t believe so. That’s not what I have just seen around the Cabinet table. I saw a Cabinet united and focused on dealing with the issues that are confronting the British people.

This is the moment Health Secretary Wes Streeting faced questions about his leadership ambitions as reporters asked him if he wanted to be prime minister.

Mr Streeting made a hasty exit from Downing Street after a Cabinet meeting this morning where he did not directly challenge Sir Keir Starmer.

Watch the incident below:

Labour former leadership candidate Rebecca Long-Bailey has called for Sir Keir Starmer to ‘set out a timetable’ for a new leader to be elected.

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, the MP for Salford said the ‘full range of candidates’ must be able to stand.

Sir Keir beat Ms Long-Bailey in the Labour leadership contest in 2020.

Read her full statement below:

Wes Streeting ignored reporters shouting questions at him as he left the Cabinet meeting.

The Health Secretary was asked whether he challenged Sir Keir Starmer and continued walking down Downing Street without responding.

Daily Mail columnist Dan Hodges says Sir Keir Starmer is looking for a ‘dignified way’ of ending his time in Downing Street.

Dan says the Prime Minister is ‘not in denial’ about the difficulties arising from his leadership but does not want to be seen to be ‘forced out’ by his MPs.

It comes as Sir Keir told his cabinet he will not be resigning and added the formal mechanism to challenge his leadership had not been triggered.

Suspended Labour MP Karl Turner has urged Sir Keir Starmer to quit to ensure ‘stable government’.

The outspoken backbencher said while he has supported Sir Keir for many years, his presence in No 10 was causing people to lose the trust of voters.

See his full statement below:

Peter Kyle said Sir Keir Starmer was showing “really steadfast leadership” as he left the Cabinet meeting.

Speaking to reporters in Downing Street, Mr Kyle said:

We had a very purposeful Cabinet meeting talking about the big issues facing our economy and society. Nothing has been triggered.

I’m about to go off to Brussels to continue working with Brussels to deepen the relationship, to benefit Britain.

We are working hard on the big issues that are facing the country and Keir is showing really steadfast leadership.

Liz Kendall has said Sir Keir Starmer has her ‘full support’ following the Cabinet meeting earlier this morning.

She told reporters on Downing Street:

The Prime Minister talked about the challenges we faced as a country, the crisis in the middle east and the impact on the cost of living here.

And look, this government will do what we were elected to do which is serve the British people. The Prime Minister has my full support in this.

Let me just say this; there is a process to challenge the leader, nobody has made that challenge and what people would expect me to do is to focus on how we can grow the economy, tackle the cost of living and give them a better life.

Pat McFadden said nobody challenged Sir Keir Starmer to go at the Cabinet meeting.

Speaking to reporters outside Downing Street, the Work and Pensions Secretary said the Government should ‘carry on.’

Asked whether anyone challenged him at the meeting, he said: ‘They didn’t.’