Dozens of lawmakers call for UK premier to resign following election defeat

More than 50 Labour Party lawmakers have called on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to resign following last week's election results, according to media reports on Monday.

Pressure is growing on the prime minister despite his earlier Monday speech, reiterating that he is "not walking away," and "not plunging our country into chaos."

Alex Ballinger, lawmaker for Halesowen, and Tonia Antoniazzi, lawmaker for Gower, became the latest to call on the prime minister to resign.

"There will be those that disagree with me but I think it is genuinely time for him to step aside as PM in an orderly manner," Antoniazzi, who is also the chair of the Northern Ireland Select Committee, wrote on US social media company X.

For his part, Ballinger said he likes Starmer but it is "clear" from countless conversations that his constituents have lost confidence in him.

"I support a transition to a new leader, one who will be bolder, and one who can better articulate how Labour is changing our country for the better," he said on X.

Earlier, Labour Party backbencher Bell Ribeiro-Addy was among lawmakers to call for Starmer's resignation, saying: "It is clear the PM does not have a credible plan. He must now set out a timetable for departure."

Meanwhile, Chris Curtis, the leader of the Growth Group of Labour MPs, has also told Sky News that he is calling on Starmer to resign.

During his speech at a London event, Starmer said: "The election results last week were tough, very tough. We lost some brilliant labor representatives; that hurts, and it should hurt. I get it, I feel it, and I take responsibility."

He noted that he is not going to shy away from the fact that he has got "some doubters, including in my own party," adding that he has to prove them wrong, and he will.

"I take responsibility for navigating us through a world that is more dangerous than at any time in my life, and I take responsibility for not walking away, not plunging our country into chaos."

Separately, Angela Rayner, former deputy Labour leader, reacted to Starmer's speech, saying: "We will be judged on actions, not just our words."

Karl Turner, who was suspended from the party in March, said Starmer's speech was delivered well, but he does not think it will persuade the country that things are going to change.

The Labour Party has suffered a historic defeat in the Welsh Senedd, and the Scottish National Party has held onto power for an unprecedented fifth time in the Scottish Parliament at last week's elections across Scotland, Wales and 136 English local authorities, which were the biggest set of polls since the 2024 general election.

The Reform UK party has picked up more than 1,450 council seats, continuing the party's success after its breakthrough in town halls last year.