Beth Rigby captures Downing Street chaos as ministers back Starmer

beth rigby’s Downing Street coverage was thrown into chaos as Sophie Ridge ducked the camera while broadcasters chased ministers leaving 10 Downing Street after a Cabinet meeting on Sir Keir Starmer’s future. Lisa Nandy emerged from the building as the press pack moved in on the ministers who followed.

The scene came after nearly 80 MPs and one minister called on Starmer to resign, and after he had already taken the first ministerial resignation from his Government. Inside the meeting, Downing Street said he told ministers the Labour Party had a process for challenging a leader and that it had not been triggered.

10 Downing Street scramble

Ridge was forced to suddenly duck to clear the camera’s view of the black door, while Robert Peston ran across the camera as journalists chased after Nandy. The footage captured the pace outside No 10 as ministers left one by one and journalists tried to get a comment before they disappeared from view.

Wes Streeting also left No 10 without answering questions shouted by journalists. Pat McFadden said the Prime Minister did not face a direct resignation call from any of his ministers, narrowing the dispute to pressure from MPs rather than an open revolt in Cabinet.

Cabinet backs Starmer

After the meeting, Liz Kendall said: “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.” She added: “Let me just say this; there is a process to challenge the leader, nobody has made that challenge and what people would expect me to do is to focus on how we can grow the economy, tackle the cost of living and give them a better life.”

Peter Kyle described Starmer’s approach as “really steadfast leadership,” and Steve Reed said he had “full support.” According to Downing Street, Starmer also told Cabinet: “As I said yesterday, I take responsibility for these election results and I take responsibility for delivering the change we promised.”

Starmer’s Cabinet message

Downing Street said he told ministers: “The past 48 hours have been destabilising for government and that has a real economic cost for our country and for families.” He also said: “The Labour Party has a process for challenging a leader and that has not been triggered.”

Starmer’s message to Cabinet and the public backing that followed left the pressure concentrated on the MPs who have called for a timetable for his departure. The immediate test is whether that group can turn numbers into a formal challenge, after the leadership process described by Downing Street was not triggered.