British Health Minister Wes Streeting resigned on Thursday to call for a leadership contest to oust Keir Starmer, accusing the prime minister of overseeing political drift and forcing others to take the blame for his government's failings.
Disastrous results for the governing Labour Party in last week's local elections have plunged Britain into its latest crisis, just under two years after Starmer won a large majority on a vow to bring stability and end a decade of political chaos.
After days of calls by a growing number of Labour lawmakers for Starmer to either resign or set out a timetable for his departure, Streeting was the first senior minister to break cover, saying he was standing down because "it is now clear you will not lead the Labour Party into the next general election."
But he did not trigger a formal contest, and other senior cabinet ministers expressed their support for Starmer.
Labour members of parliament and trade unions wanted the debate about what comes next to focus on ideas rather than personalities or factions, Streeting's resignation letter said.
