Three more Scottish Labour MPs join calls for Starmer to quit

Three more Scottish Labour MPs have joined the opposition against Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership from within the party, issuing calls for the Prime Minister to quit.

The MPs each released statements on Monday evening saying they had lost faith in Sir Keir’s ability to lead, pointing to Scottish Labour’s election result last week.

A number of their colleagues had earlier called for the Prime Minister to go.

Melanie Ward, the MP for Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy, was one of several Government aides from across the UK who quit to express their discontent.

Gordon McKee, the Labour MP for Glasgow South and a former parliamentary private secretary at the Department for Work and Pensions, also said it was time for a change in leadership.

Maureen Burke, the Labour MP for Glasgow North East, also joined the growing number of discontented MPs calling for Sir Keir to step down.

However, not all in the Scottish Labour Party shared their views, with Paisley and Renfrewshire North MP Alison Taylor posting a message online supporting Sir Keir.

Ms Ward was the first Labour MP from north of the border to state her position on Monday evening.

A number of other Scottish Labour MPs, such as Alloa and Grangemouth’s Brian Leishman, had previously called for Sir Keir to go.

In a statement on social media, Ms Ward said: “Keir Starmer did important work to change the Labour Party, and governing in a time like this will never be easy.

“But the message from last week’s elections was clear; the Prime Minister has lost the confidence of the public to lead this change.”

Posting on X slightly later on Monday evening, Ms Burke said: “Despite two decades of SNP failure, people were reluctant to give Labour a hearing and told me that they could not, in good faith, vote Labour while Keir Starmer is Prime Minister.

“Our party owes Keir a debt of gratitude for his leadership, but we are bigger than one person.

“With a heavy heart, I am calling on the Prime Minister to set out a timetable for his departure and for our party to have a period of reflection with any and all candidates willing to have the chance to put themselves forward.”

Mr McKee said: “I’m deeply sad that we’re in this position and proud of what Keir Starmer achieved reforming the Labour Party.

“However, the message in Glasgow and across the country in last week’s elections was clear; the Prime Minister has lost the confidence of the public.”

However, Ms Taylor backed the Prime Minister, who she said “was elected on a five-year mandate to change, protect, defend, enrich our United Kingdom”.

She posted: “It’s wrong not to back the Leader. Just wrong. This is not the way to go about such matters. Keir needs supported by his team.

“Not have the knives turned on him.”