LONDON - Mr Keir Starmer came under renewed pressure on May 11 when four ministerial aides stepped down and more than 60 Labour lawmakers publicly called for the British prime minister’s resignation after his appeal for another chance seemingly fell on deaf ears.

At an address to the party faithful in London, Mr Starmer had made an impassioned plea to both his party and voters to stick with him and avoid a leadership contest he said would only bring chaos, promising to be bolder.

But his speech, in which he all but admitted he had been too timid in tackling the myriad of problems besetting Britain since he won a large majority in 2024, did little to ease the anger felt over one of the worst defeats for Labour in last week’s local elections.

Four ministerial aides said they were resigning, believing that Mr Starmer, 63, was not the man to lead Labour into the next national election, due in 2029, and hoping to trigger a leadership contest that could last weeks, if not months.

“It is clear to me that the prime minister has lost authority not just within the parliamentary Labour Party but across the country and that he will not be able to regain it,” said Mr Tom Rutland, a ministerial aide to the environment minister, in his resignation letter.

Ms Catherine West, a little-known former junior minister who broke cover at the weekend to threaten to seek a leadership contest if Mr Starmer failed to offer radical change, told Reuters she had received 80 responses supporting her demand that the prime minister set out a timetable for his departure.

She called for a leadership election to happen in September.