First minister to resign says Starmer has lost ‘confidence of the public’

The first minister to resign from Keir Starmer’s government has called for the prime minister to step down and oversee “an orderly transition” to a new leader. 

Miatta Fahnbulleh stepped down as minister for devolution, faith and communities on Tuesday morning. In a letter addressed to the prime minister, she said that the government had not acted as “a Labour Party clear about our values and strong in our convictions.”

Fahnbulleh said that mistakes had been made, adding: “Our country faces enormous challenges and people are crying out for the scale of change that this requires.”

Read Fahnbulleh’s full letter of resignation below. 

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Dear Prime Minister,

I am writing to tender my resignation as Minister for Devolution, Faith and Communities.

I am proud of the work that I have done in this Government. First as the Minister for Energy Consumers where I secured energy bill discounts for 6 million families and kick started our Warm Homes Plan; and in my current role where I have rolled out our transformational Pride in Place Programme, delivered a generational shift in power through our English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act, and led our critical work on tackling the rising tide of hate and division in our communities. It has been a privilege to play my part in a government that is working hard at every level to deliver the change that our country needs.

Whilst progress has been made, we have not acted with the vision, pace and ambition that our mandate for change demands of us. Nor have we governed as a Labour Party clear about our values and strong in our convictions. Mistakes such as the winter fuel payment and cuts to the support provided to disabled people have left too many of my constituents doubting our mission. And the message on the doorstep was clear: you, Prime Minister, have lost the trust and confidence of the public.

Our country faces enormous challenges and people are crying out for the scale of change that this requires. The public does not believe that you can lead this change – and nor do I. Therefore, I urge you to do the right thing for the country and the Party and set a timetable for an orderly transition so that a new team can deliver the change we promised the country.

Yours sincerely,

Miatta Fahnbulleh