LIVE: Fourth minister quits over Keir Starmer’s leadership

Heading into today’s Cabinet meeting it appeared that Sir Keir’s days in the hotseat were numbered.

And yet, eight hours later there is a growing sense that another day might pass without the PM resigning.

Wes Streeting – who interestingly sits facing Starmer at Cabinet – looked the most likely to mount a leadership, but this manoeuvre appears to have gone quiet for the time being.

Did Sir Keir put on a masterclass of undermining rivals this morning? Political editor James Tapsfield delves into the PM’s crafty political tactics:

You know things have died down when the focus shifts to Larry the Cat.

No 10’s chief rat catcher has been in post since 2011 and has purred his way through the epochs of six Prime Ministers.

The unflappable feline has been spotted loitering on the steps of 10 Downing Street in the last few moments, the most likely location for a potential resignation speech – should one happen in the next few days.

More from David Lammy, who came out firing in an interview outside Downing Street this evening.

The Deputy Prime Minister insisted that Reform UK leader Nigel Farage would be the biggest beneficiary of the Labour Party psychodrama.

He said: ‘Let’s get on with the business of running this country and government. That’s what I’ve been doing today. That’s what the Prime Minister’s been doing.

‘And I urge colleagues to step back and not benefit Farage and Reform.’

Long-time Starmer loyalist David Lammy has just told Sky News the Prime Minister has his ‘full support’.

He added that despite a wave of MPs calling on Sir Keir to resign, ‘no one has come forward in the last 24 hours’.

The former Foreign Secretary reminded his party that ‘no one has the numbers [to mount a leadership challenge]’ and urged anyone who does ‘to come forward’.

This firm backing of the PM has been a long time coming, with Lammy’s silence deafening last night as the walls appeared to cave in around Sir Keir.

There have been whispers that Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood would become the highest profile Government figure to call on the Prime Minister to resign, perhaps as early as this evening.

It was first reported last night that Mahmood had urged Sir Keir to stand down, joining Yvette Cooper in a coalition of Labour big dogs calling for the boss’s head.

Well, the Home Sec’s spokesman has put paid to these rumours this evening – or at least confirmed that she will not be resigning from the Cabinet.

Instead, Mahmood is focussing on ‘cracking on with the job’, the spokesman said.

Amid the growing clamour calling for the Prime Minister to step down, it’s easy to forget that some MPs are stoically supporting Keir Starmer.

While a host of Labour big dogs remain conspicuous by their silence, more than 100 Labour MPs are understood to have signed a statement backing Sir Keir.

These include Michael Payne – yesterday promoted to the role of parliamentary private secretary following a wave of resignations – who insisted the PM is ‘[getting] on with governing’.

And preet Kaur Gill added that ‘voters did not elect us to turn inward and obsess over ourselves’.

Analysts have warned of a Truss-style debt crisis if Labour lurches to the Left today as markets pummelled Britain.

The UK’s borrowing costs surged to 28-year highs with traders taking fright at the prospect of Keir Starmer being replaced by Andy Burnham or Angela Rayner.

In more damaging fallout from the chaos, the Pound weakened against the US dollar and euro, while the blue-chip FTSE 100 dropped.

Britain faces being dragged to the Left with a rise in spending, taxation, the minimum wage and renationalisation if Keir Starmer is removed from power.

Higher public spending, higher taxes, a more generous minimum wage and yet more new rights for workers at the expense of employers are among ideas that have been floated by some of the challengers and their allies.

Even before the Prime Minister quits or is forced from No10, the markets have reacted with fear over who might replace him and Chancellor Rachel Reeves.

Ninety of Sir Keir Starmer’s own Labour MPs have now publicly called for his resignation, telling him to ‘get real’ and recognise ‘it’s over’.

While six ministerial aides have walked out.

Miatta Fahnbulleh became the first minister to quit. She is regarded as closely linked to Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband.

Ms Phillips and Ms Davies-Jones are seen as allies of Mr Streeting.

Health Minister Zubir Ahmed has resigned from Keir Starmer’s Government.

In his letter to the PM he said that it had been the ‘honour of his life’ to serve, but that due to a ‘lack of values-driven leadership at its centre’ he had lost his confidence in Sir Keir to lead.

by David Wilcock, Deputy Political Editor

King Charles is set to arrive with full regal pomp and ceremony for the State Opening of Parliament tomorrow – and deliver a pointless address written by a zombie Prime Minister on the cusp of being kicked from office.

The monarch is due to deliver the King’s Speech amid major turmoil in Westminster, with the PM facing a mounting mutiny that has led more than 80 MPs to demand he quit.

The speech is traditionally written for the head of state by the government of the day to outline its policy programme for the coming parliamentary session.

But if Sir Keir is ousted this week or sets out a timetable for leaving No10 his successor is likely to alter large chunks of the programme, making the speech meaningless.

Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones said this morning the King’s Speech is going ahead on Wednesday as far as he is aware.

‘We’ve been working very hard to bring together a programme of Bills for the next session that meet the challenges that we face as a country and it’s important that we get on with that work.’

by Jason Groves, Political Editor

Angela Rayner is telling Labour MPs she is ready to launch a leadership campaign, despite remaining under investigation over her tax affairs.

In recent days, the former deputy prime minister has signalled she could fall in behind Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham in any leadership contest.

But Labour sources have told the Mail that she is still canvassing MPs for support for her own campaign if Keir Starmer is forced to quit at short notice.

‘Angie was struggling for support, but she will be a big beneficiary if things move quickly,’ said one. ‘Publicly, she is making very loud representations that Andy should be allowed back. But she is also texting everyone saying she is ready to go.

‘If Andy does get back, she would probably have to row in behind him. But there is a scenario where he can’t get back in time and then, as she sees it, the hand of history falls on her shoulder.’

Ms Rayner was forced to quit the Cabinet last year after it emerged she had failed to pay £40,000 in stamp duty owed on a luxury apartment in Hove, 260 miles from her Greater Manchester constituency.