British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was fighting for his political survival on Thursday (14 May) after Health Secretary Wes Streeting resigned, saying he had “lost confidence” in Starmer’s leadership.
In his resignation letter, Streeting said the U.K. Prime Minister had created a “vacuum” where vision was needed and argued that the unpopularity of Starmer’s government was “a major factor” behind Labour’s heavy losses in elections across England, Wales and Scotland last week.
"It is now clear that you will not lead the Labour Party into the next general election and that Labour MPs and Labour Unions want the debate about what comes next to be a battle of ideas, not of personalities or petty factionalism," Streeting said in the letter published on X.
"It needs to be broad, and it needs the best possible field of candidates. I support that approach and I hope that you will facilitate this,” he added.
Streeting is rumoured to be considering a challenge to Starmer for the top job in British politics, and several of his allies have already resigned from the Prime Minister’s government in recent days.
Nearly 100 Labour MPs have called on the Prime Minister to resign following last week’s local elections in England and devolved parliament elections in Wales and Scotland.
Right-wing populists Reform UK and the left-wing Green Party were the major winners in the English local elections.
Under Labour Party rules, a leadership challenger needs the backing of 20% of Labour MPs - currently 81 members as of May 2026 - to trigger an official leadership contest.
On Thursday evening Labour MP Josh Simons said he would resign from his seat in parliament to allow Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham a chance to challenge Prime Minister Keir Starmer as leader.
Former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner is also rumoured to be considering entering a leadership race.
World Environment Day should be used as a platform to turn public awareness into concrete policy action on climate change, biodiversity loss and pollu...
China and Britain sat down for a major round of talks in Beijing on Tuesday and walked away with a clear message that the two countries want a better,...
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for an "exponential" expansion of the country's atomic arsenal during a visit to a newly operational nuclear ma...
Israel and Lebanon have agreed to implement a ceasefire after U.S.-backed talks in Washington. The deal requires Hezbollah to halt attacks and withdra...
Environmental ministers and senior officials from member states of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) gathered in Samarkand for the 6th ECO M...
World Environment Day should be used as a platform to turn public awareness into concrete policy action on climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, according to a senior United Nations environment official speaking in an interview with AnewZ's Guy Shone.
China and Britain sat down for a major round of talks in Beijing on Tuesday and walked away with a clear message that the two countries want a better, closer relationship and that they are actively working to build one.
Israel and Lebanon have agreed to implement a ceasefire after U.S.-backed talks in Washington. The deal requires Hezbollah to halt attacks and withdraw from southern Lebanon, while both sides will resume direct talks later this month aimed at reaching a broader agreement.
Environmental ministers and senior officials from member states of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) gathered in Samarkand for the 6th ECO Ministerial Meeting on Environment, the first such meeting in 12 years.
Severe Tropical Storm Jangmi brought heavy rain, power cuts and transport disruption across Japan on Wednesday (3 June) as it tracked towards the greater Tokyo region.
Police officers were pelted with missiles during violent clashes at a protest near the Southampton, UK, home of convicted murderer Vickrum Digwa, as anger continued to grow over the handling of the fatal stabbing of 18-year-old Henry Nowak.
Competing narratives continue to shape perceptions of the war in Ukraine, with Russian leadership suggesting a possible end phase while Ukrainian officials warn of renewed large-scale attacks and ongoing escalation risks.
An Iranian drone and missile attack struck Kuwait International Airport early Wednesday, injuring several people, damaging Terminal 1 and forcing flight diversions, Kuwaiti authorities said.
Thousands of people have taken to the streets in Albania in recent days to protest against a luxury tourism project linked to Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump, and his wife Ivanka Trump.
China and Britain sat down for a major round of talks in Beijing on Tuesday and walked away with a clear message that the two countries want a better, closer relationship and that they are actively working to build one.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for an "exponential" expansion of the country's atomic arsenal during a visit to a newly operational nuclear material production factory, state media agency KCNA said.
World Environment Day should be used as a platform to turn public awareness into concrete policy action on climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, according to a senior United Nations environment official speaking in an interview with AnewZ's Guy Shone.
Environmental ministers and senior officials from member states of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) gathered in Samarkand for the 6th ECO Ministerial Meeting on Environment, the first such meeting in 12 years.
The United Kingdom has begun using SpaceX's Starshield satellite network for military operations, according to people familiar with the matter, marking one of the first known deployments of the secure government-focused system outside the U.S.
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