LONDON (Reuters) – British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, fighting for his political survival after dozens of his own lawmakers called for him to resign, promised to press ahead with plans to reform the country and warned of chaos and instability if he were to be ousted.
Starmer has so far defied calls to quit from Labour lawmakers who blame him for heavy losses in local elections last week and say he has failed to deliver reforms since coming to power in a landslide 2024 election victory.
While almost a quarter of the prime minister's elected lawmakers have called for him to go and a handful of junior ministers have resigned in protest, potential rivals for his job have yet to trigger a formal leadership challenge.
"Britain stands at a pivotal moment: to press ahead with a plan to build a stronger, fairer country or turn back to the chaos and instability of the past," Starmer said in a statement on Tuesday evening.
GRAND CEREMONY GOES AHEAD REGARDLESS
Despite the turmoil, Starmer will on Wednesday take part in the state opening of parliament - a grand ceremony led by King Charles which is used by the government to set out its political priorities and legislative agenda for the year ahead.
"The British people expect the government to get on with the job of changing our country for the better. Cutting the cost of living, bringing down hospital waiting lists and keeping our country safe in an increasingly dangerous world," Starmer said.
A package of over 35 bills and draft bills will focus on measures to improve the economy, strengthen national security and "reform the state to support a more active government that is on the side of British people", the government said.
STARMER'S FUTURE REMAINS UNCERTAIN
After travelling to parliament and donning the Robe of State, Charles will read a speech written by Starmer's government setting out the planned new laws.
But the implementation of that speech remains as uncertain as Starmer's political future; if he were to be ousted, his successor would not be bound to follow the same plan.
After spending much of Tuesday behind closed doors at his Downing Street office as he sought to rally support, Wednesday's ceremony will put his struggle for power back in public view.
Starmer is expected to meet Wes Streeting, one of his senior ministers who has been touted as a possible leadership challenger, ahead of the speech.
Then, under the gaze of television cameras and alongside leaders of rival parties, Starmer will walk in a procession of lawmakers from parliament's lower house to its upper house, where the king will then speak.
Starmer will later deliver a speech in a parliamentary debate that is likely to be used by rivals to ridicule his position as a leader with badly damaged authority presenting an agenda that he may never get to deliver.