Starmer crisis deepens as Jess Phillips dramatically resigns

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

The political crisis engulfing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer deepened further on Tuesday after safeguarding minister Jess Phillips resigned from government, delivering a scathing critique of the Labour leadership and accusing it of lacking the fight needed to deliver meaningful change.

Phillips announced her resignation in a strongly-worded letter in which she said “deeds not words matter” and warned that good intentions alone were no longer enough to address the country’s challenges.

Her departure marks another major blow to Starmer, who is already facing mounting rebellion within the Labour Party after dozens of MPs publicly called for him to step aside following poor election performances and growing dissatisfaction over government policies.

In the resignation letter, Phillips acknowledged Starmer’s long-standing commitment to tackling violence against women and girls, an issue on which both politicians had worked closely for years.

“I think you are a good man fundamentally, who cares about the right things,” she wrote.

“However, I have seen first-hand how that is not enough.”

Phillips criticised what she described as a culture of excessive caution within Downing Street, arguing that the leadership’s reluctance to engage in political confrontation had stalled progress on major reforms.

“The desire not to have an argument means we rarely make an argument, leaving opportunities for progress stalled and delayed,” she stated.

She also claimed that significant action on women’s issues often came only after pressure and internal disputes forced the government to respond.

According to Phillips, controversies surrounding former Labour strategist Peter Mandelson and other internal tensions repeatedly compelled Number 10 to strengthen its position on safeguarding and women’s protection policies.

“I will never waste a crisis to make advancements for women and girls,” she wrote.

The resignation comes amid intensifying instability inside the Labour government following a series of controversial policy decisions that have angered both party members and sections of the British public.

Over recent months, Starmer’s administration has faced criticism over cuts to winter fuel payments for pensioners, proposed reductions in disability support, rising living costs and claims that Labour has drifted away from its traditional social justice values. (bbc.com)

The unrest worsened after Labour suffered disappointing results in recent local elections across England and Wales, with Nigel Farage’s Reform UK making significant gains in several traditional Labour strongholds.

Earlier on Tuesday, another minister, Miatta Fahnbulleh, also resigned from government and openly urged Starmer to set a timetable for his departure, saying the Prime Minister had “lost the trust and confidence of the public.”

The resignations have fuelled speculation about Starmer’s future, with reports suggesting that senior Labour figures are privately discussing leadership transition options.

Phillips, however, insisted that despite stepping down from government, she still wanted Labour to succeed.

“I want a Labour government to work and I will strive as I always have for its success and popularity,” she wrote.

“But I’m not seeing the change I think I, and the country, expect, and so cannot continue to serve as a minister under the current leadership.”