Milton Keynes North MP Chris Curtis calls for Prime Minister to resign

Chris Curtis MP, who represents Milton Keynes in Parliament, has been one of several Labour MP to call for the resignation of Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Starmer is under major pressure within his own party after Labour endured very bad results in last week’s local elections. Over 1,400 Labour councillors were voted out across England, with the party losing control of 38 councils it was defending ahead of the ballots. The party also lost power in the Welsh Senedd for the first time since its foundation and lost ground on the SNP in Scottish Parliamentary elections.

This was a trend that included Milton Keynes, where Labour lost 11 councillors to go from being the largest to second largest party. Milton Keynes City Council is now under no overall control, with the Liberal Democrats now the council’s largest party.

Curtis gave his thoughts in an interview on Sky News earlier today (11/05) in the immediate aftermath of a speech given by Starmer arguing he should stay in post.

The MK North MP, who was first elected in 2024 and chairs the Labour Growth Group, gave his view that Starmer should stand down as party leader and trigger the contest for an alternative candidate to become both party leader and Starmer’s successor as Prime Minister.

Curtis said, “I think the moment, the dramatic situation that we face – the geo-political context, the fact that we had such a difficult economic inheritance – does mean that we need more radical change than the government has set out so far.

“I don’t think we saw a plan from the prime minister this morning in order to implement the kind of change that this country needs, and I therefore think it’s time for us to look for new leadership, and I think what that means is the prime minister rightly now setting out a timetable and an orderly process for a leadership election, and one in which Labour has a discussion about the vision for the country and what changes we think are needed in order to face the very real challenges that Britain currently faces.”

Neither one of Curtis’ fellow Milton Keynes MPs Emily Darlington and Callum Anderson have publicly stated whether they believe Starmer should leave his position.

In the immediate aftermath of last week’s elections, Anderson, who represents the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency, said he felt a responsibility to try to rebuild trust in his party.

He said, “As your Member of Parliament, I know I have a personal responsibility to help rebuild confidence in Labour locally. That is a challenge I will confront directly and head-on.

“I would especially like to offer my heartfelt thanks to every Labour candidate and volunteer who gave so much of themselves throughout this campaign. They conducted themselves with real integrity and determination, and I have been proud to campaign alongside them.

“I’m sorry to lose our hardworking Your Bletchley councillors: Waqas Ahmad, Mohammed Khan, Ayesha Khanom, Mandy Legg, Mick Legg, and Nigel Long. I thank each for their service and dedication to our city.

“I want to address the many people who cast their vote for either Reform UK or the Greens yesterday. I have heard your voices, and I take them seriously. Our Labour Government has taken positive steps to do better on the things that matter most to you: reducing your cost of living, improving the public services you pay tax for, and delivering a fair immigration system.

“But I understand that we must do far more – and articulate a clearer, more positive vision for Britain. I know our country needs to genuinely work for everyone, and I’ve heard loud and clear that change needs to be delivered quicker, and in a way that people can see and feel.”