UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer Faces Party Revolt, Resignations After Local Election Losses

U.K. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer fought to hold his position on Monday. He rejected calls to step aside despite pressure from his Labour Party and resignations by close aides.

More than 70 Labour MPs publicly urged the party leader to quit. Several parliamentary aides resigned in protest, reports said. The rebellion hit Starmer at a tough time. Political and economic problems had already weakened his authority.

Local elections on May 8 delivered heavy losses for Labour. The party shed hundreds of council seats in England, lost ground in Wales and trailed rivals in Scotland.

A YouGov poll showed about half of Britons think Starmer should resign. Rising U.K. borrowing costs fueled worries over government economic policies and failure to cut living expenses.

Starmer drew fire for naming Peter Mandelson, a Jeffrey Epstein associate, as ambassador to Washington, the Associated Press reported.

Labour's woes in Scotland stood out after John Swinney won big. The outcome hurt Starmer further. President Donald Trump congratulated Swinney and took a shot at Starmer.

Trump and Starmer's ties had soured. Trump said, "This is not Winston Churchill that we’re dealing with." He criticized Starmer for blocking U.S. warplanes from U.K. bases at the start of the war against Iran.

Starmer pushed back in a Monday speech billed as a reset. He vowed not to resign. "I take responsibility for not walking away, not plunging our country into chaos, as the Tories did," he said.

MP Sam Carlin, who wants change, called Starmer "not the right person" to fix the party. "As a result, I join Labour colleagues from across the United Kingdom in urging the Prime Minister to step down for the sake of our movement and the people we serve," Carlin said. "We have made so much progress, but if we remain on our current course, it will not last."

Former minister Catherine West organized the push. She demanded a timetable to pick a new leader by September.

Three people lead the pack to replace Starmer. Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham would need a Parliament seat to run. Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner deals with fallout from old tax problems. Health Secretary Wes Streeting looks like a quick option.

Labour rules allow a leadership fight if enough MPs and groups back a challenger. Starmer's exit would start a formal contest and member vote.