Starmer's Cabinet Splits over Whether Prime Minister Should Stay

Sir Keir Starmer's cabinet is split this morning on whether the prime minister should carry on.

Such a division among ministers is unsustainable. Either they resign or get sacked, or the prime minister goes.

Last night, ministers met with Sir Keir and gave him varied advice. Some urged him to fight on. Others suggested he set a timetable for departure. Some helped him consider how to handle his current situation.

A dam has broken, with Labour MPs frequently posting public statements of no confidence in the prime minister.

One Labour MP called it "just so devastatingly crap." That blunt assessment preceded a torrent of criticism from colleagues.

Many MPs believe Sir Keir repels too many voters as Labour figures out how to counter Reform UK.

Other Labour MPs watch the implosion in horror. They face pressure to defend it publicly when they would prefer it not happen. "A lot of us are watching this slightly aghast," one said. "With a war; an economy struggling due to Iran; market gilt movements etc. I'm still of the view that stability is a premium you give up at your peril."

People close to the prime minister say he remains resolute about continuing. He fears a protracted leadership contest would harm the party and country. It would produce a successor with a "very questionable mandate," one friend said.

Bad blood already flows through the Labour movement. Rival leadership camps brief against each other. The blame game for the current mess has started.

Tuesday morning's cabinet meeting brings Sir Keir's handpicked top team together around the famous table. They now disagree on how long their boss should stay in the job.

For context on the instability, the writer was 27 years old before seeing a fourth prime minister in his lifetime, Gordon Brown in 2007. The prior quarter century had just three: Margaret Thatcher, John Major and Tony Blair.