The cabinet is to meet formally this morning amid splits at the top of government over the future of the prime minister, with Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood among a number of ministers calling for Sir Keir Starmer to set out a timetable for his resignation.
It is understood Mahmood is in the minority in the cabinet over whether Sir Keir should set out a timetable.
According to BBC, six ministerial aides – the lowest rung of government – have been replaced by No 10, after they either quit or called for Sir Keir to set out a timetable for his replacement.
And the tally of Labour MPs calling for Sir Keir to resign or set out a timetable for resignation has reached 72.
The list of ministerial aides who quit on Monday included Joe Morris, Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to Health Secretary Wes Streeting, a potential leadership contender.
Morris said the prime minister “no longer has the trust or confidence of the public”.
Melanie Ward, PPS to Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy, Naushabah Khan, PPS to Cabinet Office Minister Darren Jones, and Tom Rutland, PPS to Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds, also resigned.
Another two joined calls for Sir Keir to set out a timetable for his departure: Gordon McKee, PPS to Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden, and Sally Jameson, PPS to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood.
In a speech earlier, the PM insisted he would prove the “doubters” wrong and would not be quitting.
He admitted the government had made mistakes but said it he had “got the big political choices right”.
But pressure for him to go intensified through the day, building on calls for a timetable for his resignation from supporters of the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham.
Calls have also come from the right of the party, including those close to Streeting, for a swifter departure, which would exclude the chance of Burnham standing for the leadership.
