Jess Phillips quits UK government adding pressure on Keir Starmer to quit

A prominent minister has resigned from Keir Starmer’s government, piling pressure on the embattled Labour leader to quit after he vowed to fight on.

Safeguarding minister Jess Phillips became the second minister to stand down, criticising the prime minister’s failure to be “bold”.

In a letter shared to X by Sky News, the Birmingham Yardley MP wrote: “I want to start by first saying that we have worked closely together on Violence Against Women and Girls for many years and I have no doubt you have genuine knowledge and desire to rectify this dreadful social ill. We have started to make steps towards change whilst in government and I have been grateful for your support.

“However, it would be remiss of me not to say that real change and direction in this area usually came from threats made by me in light of catastrophic mistakes. The Mandelson saga whenever it bubbled up made Number 10 kick into gear on the subject in order to prove our credentials. I will never waste a crisis to make advancements for women and girls and so demands were made and some were met.

“I think you are a good man fundamentally, who cares about the right things however I have seen first-hand how that is not enough. The desire not to have an argument means we rarely make an argument, leaving opportunities for progress stalled and delayed.”

It came after Starmer earlier told his Cabinet he would continue governing, and several senior ministers emerged from the meeting rallying around him.

He avoided being directly challenged as he declined to discuss his leadership during Tuesday’s gathering or meet critics individually afterwards, the Press Association understands.

Starmer said he would only speak to ministers one-on-one about his fate in the wake of his party’s electoral mauling, but did not do so once Cabinet concluded, according to sources.

Phillips’ departure followed the resignation on Tuesday morning of Miatta Fahnbulleh, who told the prime minister “to do the right thing for the country and the party and set a timetable for an orderly transition” as the public had lost trust in him because of issues such as the scrapping of the winter fuel payment.