Starmer latest: PM to meet Streeting on Wednesday after four ministers resign over

Chris Mason
Political editor

Labour MP Miatta Fahnbulleh, who was the first minister to resign today, tells the BBC the prime minister has “lost the trust and confidence” of voters, and should set out a timetable for an “orderly transition” to a new leader.

She says it had been a “hard” decision to resign, but that it was the “right thing to do”.

The former housing minister tells me “we came into government promising change, people expect that change…they want us to step up and that does require us to have a much bigger vision than we’ve had”.

“It requires pace and ambition, and I think we’ve made too many mistakes, been too faltering, and we need to step up.”

She says “it’s within his gift to set a timetable that means we do this right,” insisting that the Labour Party “won’t cycle through leaders – we’ll do it once if we do it”.

Fahnbulleh adds that “no one wants us to rush,” and that the PM “needs to steer us through the summer” and “then set in train a proper process”.

Asked if her suggested time frame means Andy Burnham would then be able to stand, she said her priority was for any change to be done orderly while Labour continued to govern the country.

“If we have a contest, and it’s still a big if, of course Andy Burnham should be part of this, we need all of our talents setting out their stall,” she says.

She adds that Starmer has “always acted in the public interest” and she hopes he does that now.