British Prime Minister Starmer has told a cabinet meeting that she intends to stay on as leader despite calls for her to resign

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer rejected calls to resign on Tuesday, telling ministers he would “continue to govern” despite “unrelenting” calls for 48 hours to set a plan for his departure after a botched election.

At a meeting of his cabinet, Starmer, who has been in office for less than two years, reiterated that while he took the blame for another of his Labor Party’s worst defeats, there had been no formal move to open a leadership contest.

“The last 48 hours have destabilized the government and that has real economic costs for our country and families,” Starmer told ministers, according to his Downing Street office.

“The country expects us to continue to govern. That is what I am doing and what we must do as a Cabinet.”

British government bonds rallied weakly on Starmer’s comments, but remained in the red for the day.

The junior minister resigns

Starmer’s defiance was in stark contrast to the sentiments of many in his Labor Party.

On Tuesday, the junior minister resigned after a number of ministerial aides left the government. Housing, communities and local government minister Miatta Fahnbulleh stepped down and urged Starmer to “do what is right for the country.

More than 80 Labor MPs have come forward and said they should set a date to resign so that the party can install a new leader in an orderly manner.

Starmer is Britain’s fourth prime minister in five years. The action against him will come a day after King Charles represented the creation of the government’s laws in a lavish ceremony in parliament on Wednesday.

Starmer had sought to strengthen his position on Monday when he promised to act boldly and with more urgency to tackle Britain’s many problems.

He said the country would never forgive the centre-left Labor Party if it entered the leadership challenge, just two years after its majority in parliament was supposed to end the political turmoil that had plagued the country since Britain voted to leave the European Union 10 years ago.

Starmer’s government has struggled to turn around Britain’s sluggish economy, and there was confusion over how Peter Mandelson was appointed Britain’s ambassador to Washington despite the envoy’s ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The polls showed a lack of confidence in Starmer’s leadership.

The next UK general election is not due to be held until 2029, but the Westminster parliamentary system allows parties to change leaders mid-term without the need for a general election.

Challenges require a lot of support

It is generally harder for Labor MPs to remove the prime minister than the opposition Conservative Party. Labor policy makers should support certain people, rather than simply saying they “don’t trust” the leader.

The Conservatives went through five prime ministers in eight years after 2016.

Former junior Labor minister Catherine West has made a formal bid to secure support for Starmer’s exit but this is not the same as a leadership challenge and she has yet to say she intends to replace him.

Any candidate wishing to mount a challenge would need to secure the support of 20 per cent of Labor MPs. With Labor currently holding 403 seats, which equates to 81 supporters, Candidates must meet a level of support from the Labor Party’s grassroots organisations, and affiliated organizations such as trade unions.

Starmer will have an automatic right to be on the ballot, if he chooses to contest. If more than one candidate qualifies, the winner is decided by a vote of all Labor Party members and delegates.

Those considered to have leadership ambitions include Health Minister Wes Streeting, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner. Burnham has no seat in Parliament he needs to challenge and Rayner has not fully resolved the tax issues that led to his resignation last year.