Rachel Reeves pulls out of event hours after Starmer rejects calls to resign
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has withdrawn from an event in London on Tuesday morning, the Treasury has confirmed, amid speculation about Sir Keir Starmer’s future.
After joining the Cabinet, Ms Reeves was due to take part in a “fireside chat” with the Mayor of London at London’s global risk summit.
He will now be replaced by Treasury Secretary Lucy Rigby.
The Chancellor was seen driving to Downing Street and walking towards Number 11 in the early hours of Tuesday.
He did not answer journalists’ questions as he entered the building.
The Prime Minister is defying growing calls to resign, telling a Cabinet meeting that the country “expects us to continue governing” and “that’s what I’m doing.”
The first minister’s woes deepened further on Tuesday morning when the number of Labor MPs calling on her to resign from the Government and set a timetable for her departure rose to 75.
On Tuesday Sir Keir Starmer told his Cabinet that the leadership fight had “not been triggered” and that “the country expects us to continue to govern”.
In a statement released by Downing Street, the Prime Minister told the Cabinet meeting: “As I said yesterday, I take responsibility for these election results and take responsibility for delivering the change we have promised.
“The last 48 hours have been destabilizing for the government and this has a real economic cost for our country and families.
“Labour has a process to challenge a leader and this has not yet been triggered.
“The country expects us to continue governing. That’s what I do and that’s what we need to do as a Cabinet.”
The meeting was expected to be tense and some ministers would join calls for the Prime Minister to leave.
Earlier, housing, communities and local government minister Miatta Fahnbulleh had told the Prime Minister to “do the right thing for the country and the party and set a timetable for an orderly transition” as he had lost public confidence in him over issues such as the cancellation of the winter fuel payment.
Ms Fahnbulleh is seen as a close ally of Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, who privately told Sir Keir to consider resigning last week.
