Labour bombshell as first members of government resign in call for Starmer to quit

 Members of Keir Starmer's government have resigned amid calls for him to quit.

Several Cabinet ministers are reportedly preparing to tell Keir Starmer to go on Tuesday morning.

Tom Rutland, a parliamentary private secretary (PPS), said the Prime Minister had "lost authority" and should "set out a timetable for his departure".

Joe Morris, a PPS to Health Secretary Wes Streeting, resigned his position and called for Sir Keir to go.

Naushabah Khan, Cabinet Office PPS, also quit and called for the PM to go. She called for "new leadership, so that we can rebuild trust and deliver the better future that the British people voted for".

Sally Jameson, a PPS at the Home Office, urged Starmer to quit but did not leave her role herself.

And Melanie Ward, a PPS to David Lammy, quit on Monday night. She said in a scathing assessment: "It is clear that the Prime Minister no longer has the trust or confidence of the public to lead this change."

Another half-dozen PPSs expected to quit on Monday, it has been suggested.

They are among more than 60 Labour MPs who have demanded Sir Keir set out a timetable to hand over the leadership to someone else.

Labour MP Tom Rutland, an aide to a minister, said: "It is with regret that I believe the Prime Minister should now set out a timetable for his departure and for a new leader to be chosen to lead the Labour Party and the country."

He added: "We also have a generational responsibility to stop Reform's hatred and division from taking over our great country.

"It weighs heavily on me and all of us must do all we can to prevent this from happening.

"I do not have faith that the Prime Minister can meet this challenge.

"It is not compatible to hold this view and continue to serve on the frontbench, so I have resigned as a parliamentary private secretary to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and will continue to represent my wonderful constituents in East Worthing and Shoreham from the backbenches."

Both Mr Streeting and Ms Rayner are reportedly ready to launch leadership bids on Tuesday.

Defence Secretary John Healey and Communities Secretary Steve Reed have arrived in No10.

The Prime Minister sought to face down critics on Monday with a promise to prove his doubters wrong, as a former minister withdrew threats to imminently launch a leadership challenge.

But his speech failed to quell demands that he quit or set out a timetable for his departure from discontented backbenchers, who numbered 61 by Monday evening.