London [UK], May 13: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer vowed to prove his doubters wrong as a former minister backed down from launching a leadership challenge but urged Labour lawmakers to call on the prime minister to set out a timetable for his resignation.
Catherine West had previously said she would challenge Starmer for the party leadership as early as Monday afternoon in an attempt to force the Cabinet to put forward a replacement as prime minister.
But following a speech in which Starmer said he would not "walk away", the former Foreign Office minister said she would now canvass support within the party for the prime minister setting out a timetable for his resignation by September.
In a statement, West said: "I have listened to the prime minister's speech this morning. I welcome the renewed energy and ideas. However, I have reluctantly concluded that this morning's speech was too little too late."
"The results last Thursday show that the PM has failed to inspire hope. What is best for the party and country now is for an orderly transition."Speculation about the prime minister's future has surged since Thursday's elections that saw Labour lose almost 1,500 English councillors, go backwards in Scotland and slump to third in Wales.
The electoral mauling has prompted a succession of Labour lawmakers to call for the prime minister to step down, or set out a timetable for his departure.
So far, 48 Labour lawmakers have called for Starmer to go, and others have suggested they could do so if he does not change course rapidly.
In a speech in central London on Monday, Starmer said he took "responsibility" for the losses but insisted he would fight on. Facing down those calling for his resignation, he said: "I'm not going to shy away from the fact that I've got some doubters, including in my own party."
"I'm not going to shy away from the fact that I have to prove them wrong, and I will."
As the prime minister battled to save his job, Monday's speech had been billed as setting out sweeping changes needed to tackle the "big challenges" facing Britain. Starmer set out a number of measures including legislation to nationalize British Steel, a ban on "far-right agitators" coming to the UK for a planned march on Saturday and a plan to put the UK "at the heart of Europe."
Source: Qatar Tribune