Letter supporting Keir Starmer includes 'names without approval', claims Labour MP
A fourth minister resigned from the Government
|GB NEWS
Rupa Huq expressed her surprise after being included in the letter signed by 111 Labour MPs
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A letter signed by Labour MPs expressing support for Sir Keir Starmer includes names without their approval, one of the signatories has claimed.
More than 100 Labour MPs appeared to sign a letter warning colleagues in the Commons that this is “no time for a leadership contest”.
The letter was released earlier today following a wave of ministerial resignations and growing calls for the Prime Minister to step down.
However, Ealing Central & Acton MP Rupa Huq took to social media to voice her surprise at being included on the 111-strong letter.
She said: "Surprised to see my name on this list when I haven’t either signed any letter supporting the PM or called for the PM to go?
"Not very courteous of colleagues to put names down without their approval."
A second Labour MP was also included in the letter despite not giving their approval, The Times has reported.
However, the Prime Minister is also able to call on the support of his Cabinet colleagues.
Loyal members of Sir Keir's inner circle rushed out of this morning's Cabinet meeting to tell reporters why they still support the Prime Minister.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said: “The Prime Minister talked about the challenges we faced as a country, the crisis in the Middle East and the impact on the cost of living here.
"This Government will do what we were elected to do, which is serve the British people. The prime minister has my full support in this.”
Meanwhile, the now-controversial letter warns Labour MPs need to focus on winning back the trust of the electorate rather than toppling Sir Keir.
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The letter – which was signed by Perran Moon, Phil Brickell, Carolyn Harris, Sam Rushworth, Tulip Siddiq and Allison Gardner – warned: “Last week we had a devastatingly tough set of election results.
"It shows we have a hard job ahead to win back trust from the electorate.
“That job needs to start today – with all of us working together to deliver the change the country needs.
"We must focus on that. This is no time for a leadership contest.”
However, critical Labour MPs claimed the letter showed Sir Keir was struggling to garner support from the Parliamentary Labour Party.
One Labour MP told The Guardian: “Only getting 40 per cent of your backbenchers to sign on to the blandest of statements is pathetic.
"I wasn’t sure where we were headed before, but it’s now clear it’s over.
"You can only lead if you have the broad support of your party."