UK Junior Minister resigns, urges PM Keir Starmer to step down after poll setback

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer suffered the first resignation from his government after junior minister Miatta Fahnbulleh stepped down and publicly urged him to prepare an exit plan following setbacks in local elections.

Fahnbulleh, who served as a junior minister in the housing, communities and local government department, said the Labour government had failed to deliver the pace and scale of change voters expected.

In her resignation statement, she called on Starmer to “do the right thing for the country” and set a timeline for stepping aside.

The minister, considered part of Labour’s left wing, said she remained proud of her time in government but criticised the administration’s direction and political approach.

“We have not acted with the vision, pace and mandate for change that we were given,” she said, adding that the government had also failed to govern as a Labour Party “clear about our values and strong in our convictions”.

The resignation comes amid mounting pressure on Starmer after Labour suffered losses in recent local elections, triggering internal concerns over the party’s strategy and leadership.

Political observers view Fahnbulleh’s resignation as the first significant public challenge to Starmer’s leadership from within his own government since Labour came to power.

The Prime Minister’s office has not yet issued a detailed response to the resignation or the demand for a leadership transition.