The Government continued to face fall out from Labour's disastrous performance in the 7th May local and devolved elections last week, with Keir Starmer's position more precarious than at any time since he became PM.
The week started with Starmer delivering a 'reset' speech on Monday morning, promising to deliver better and prove his doubters wrong. This did little, however, to calm the rising anger amongst MPs.
With the Prime Minister refusing to discuss his position at Tuesday morning's Cabinet, four government ministers resigned later the same day. The announcement of Miatta Fanhbulleh, Jess Phillips, Alex Davies-Jones and Zubir Ahmed’s resignations dominated the news on Tuesday afternoon, with all four stating a lack of confidence in Starmer as Prime Minister. Despite over 100 Labour MPs signing a letter in support of the PM, speculation continued to grow that a leadership challenge from Health Secretary Wes Streeting was imminent.
The chaos came to a momentary pause on Wednesday with the delivery of the King’s Speech and the announcement of 37 bills for the new parliamentary session. Key pieces of legislation announced included the Regulating for Growth Bill, to reduce the burden of unnecessary regulation through innovation, the Digital Access to Services Bill, to introduce Digital ID and modernise how citizens interact with public services, and the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill, to improve the country’s defences against cyber security threats.
However, Wednesday proved to be only a momentary respite for Keir Starmer. Despite speculation reaching fever pitch on Thursday morning that a challenge to him from Wes Streeting was imminent, the Health Secretary's resignation, when it was announced on Thursday lunchtime, didn't declare his candidacy, but instead called for a leadership contest to have a broad field of candidates.
Later that day, Josh Simons announced his resignation from Parliament to make way for Andy Burnham to return as an MP, setting up a by-election in Makerfield, whose citizens will now have a huge say in who is the next Prime Minister. If Burnham wins, he will be the strong favourite to replace Starmer in Number 10. If Reform's strength in the area, as shown in the recent local elections, carries over to the by-election and they gain the seat, the situation will be more fluid, and talk will return of who will be the 'soft left' standard bearer in a leadership contest. In the meantime, the dividing lines for the contest are already being drawn, with Wes Streeting using a speech on Saturday to call for the UK to rejoin the EU.
Amidst all this uncertainty, and despite the uprising against him from Labour MPs in the past week, it's perhaps unsurprising that - for now at least - Keir Starmer is resisting calls to set out a timetable for his departure.
Headlines
- Angela Rayner rejects No 10’s plan to make her health secretary – The Times
- More than 100 UK datacentres plan to burn gas to generate electricity – The Guardian
- Mortgage costs rise sharply on Middle East conflict – The Financial Times
What’s on in Parliament
Monday 18th May
House of Commons
- Debate on the Address: Continuation of the debate on the King’s Speech on backing business to create economic growth
- Motion on behalf of the Committee of Selection: Joint Committee on Human Rights
House of Lords
- Oral questions: The fall in healthy life expectancy over the last decade
- Oral questions: Improving miscarriage care and support
- Oral questions: New local government pension fund guidance
- Debate on the Address: Justice, home affairs and the union
Tuesday 19th May
House of Commons
- Oral questions: Justice
- Debate on the Address: Continuation of the debate on the King’s Speech on energy security
- Adjournment: Impact of HS2 on communities
House of Lords
- Oral questions: Climate change
- Oral questions: VAT relief on business donations on goods to charities on food redistribution networks, including social supermarkets
- Debate on the Address: Education, culture, technology and energy security
Wednesday 20th May
House of Commons
- Oral questions: Science, Innovation and Technology
- Prime Minister’s Question Time
- Debate on the Address: Conclusion of the debate on the King’s Speech on defence readiness
- Adjournment: Criteria for establishing banking hubs
House of Lords
- Oral questions: Paternity leave to the self-employed
- Oral questions: Attainment gap in music for disadvantaged pupils in state schools
- Oral questions: 2026 FIFA World Cup replica football kits: increase in price
- Debate on the Address: Health, housing and transport
Thursday 21st May
House of Commons
- Oral questions: Business and Trade
- Business Statement: Business Questions to the Leader of the House
- Westminster Hall Debate: Censorship of women’s health and wellbeing content online
- Westminster Hall Debate: Domestic abuse and safeguarding within the family justice system
House of Lords
- Oral questions: Reduction of emissions and wasted gas via venting and flaring on offshore oil and gas infrastructure
- Oral questions: Progress in reducing youth offending in England and Wales over the past 25 years
- Debate on the Address: Foreign affairs, international relations and defence
Friday 22nd May
House of Commons
The House of Commons is in recess and will next sit on 1st June 2026.
House of Lords
The House of Lords is in recess and will next sit on 1st June 2026.
Consultations
- Whole energy cyber resilience requirements: reshaping cyber regulation in downstream gas and electricity – closes 22nd May
- 16 to 19 level 1 English and maths qualifications – closes 2nd June
- Product regulation: the UK’s new product safety framework – closes 23rd June
Statistics
- Move to Universal Credit, July 2022 to end March 2026 – published 12th May
- Diagnostic waiting times and activity for March 2026 – published 14th May
- UK trade in goods by industry, country and commodity, 2008 to 2024 – published 15th May