Ministers arrive at Downing Street for showdown Cabinet meeting with Keir Starmer's leadership on the brink

Sir Keir Starmer could face his final Cabinet meeting as Prime Minister today after a number of his own ministers demanded he step down.

Cabinet ministers have started to arrive at Downing Street ahead of a crunch meeting, with the future of the Prime Minister hanging in the balance.

The Foreign and Home Secretaries have both are thought to have demanded an "orderly transition of power" following Labour's local elections bloodbath - though his closest ally Lord Hermer has urged him to fight on.

Meanwhile, the Deputy PM and Defence Secretary are said to have discussed with Sir Keir about how to take a "responsible, dignified and orderly" approach to whatever he decides to do.

"In the end, Keir has listened to cabinet ministers - there are differences about where this will go and what is in the best interests of party and country," a minister told The Guardian last night.

"He’ll have to make a decision about what he's going to do before cabinet tomorrow."

So far, six ministerial aides have had to be replaced by No10, after they either quit or called for the PM to go - while the number of Labour MPs to have demanded he resign is more than 10 times that figure.

By late last night, just under 80 had publicly called for his head.

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 John McDonnell accuses Wes Streeting of launching a coup against Keir Starmer

Former Labour shadow chancellor John McDonnell accused Health Secretary Wes Streeting of launching a coup against Sir Keir Starmer, handing a "gift" to Reform UK.

Writing on social media, the veteran MP for Hayes and Harlington said: "I called for time for serious discussion, no precipitous coup & fully democratic process if leadership election.

"Instead Wes Streeting has launched coup for fear of a democratic process & whilst candidates are blocked. Handing leadership to Mandelson’s protege is gift to Reform."

David Lammy and Lord Hermer arrive in Downing Street

Justice Secretary David Lammy and the Attorney General Lord Hermer have arrived at Downing Street for this morning's Cabinet meeting.

Mr Lammy smiled and waved to reporters as he entered No10.

Rachel Reeves arrives in Downing Street ahead of crunch Cabinet meeting

Rachel Reeves has arrived at Downing Street for a crunch Cabinet meeting.

The Chancellor did not answer any questions from reporters as she entered the building.

Keir Starmer 'still has room to manoeuvre' as Charlie Rowley explains escape routes for embattled PM

Keir Starmer "still has room to manoeuvre" amid intense pressure on him to vacate Downing Street, claims political commentator and former Conservative special advisor Charlie Rowley.

At least 72 Labour MPs have called for the Prime Minister to step down, with Cabinet Ministers also said to be demanding a resignation roadmap.

The Foreign and Home Secretaries have both reportedly demanded an “orderly transition of power” following Labour's bruising local election defeats.

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Cabinet minister says Andy Burnham's return to Westminster is 'fantasy politics'

A cabinet minister said "there’s a lot of fantasy politics going on" when pressed about the possibility of Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham returning to the Cabinet.

Chief secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones was questioned if the Cabinet could benefit from the electoral popularity of someone like Mr Burnham.

He told the BBC: "There’s a lot of fantasy politics going on at the moment, Keir Starmer won a historic majority less than two years ago at the ballot box alongside all of us in the Labour Party."

Keir Starmer leadership in crisis as pound drops and borrowing costs surge

Financial markets came under renewed pressure on Tuesday as investors reacted to deepening turmoil inside the Labour Government, sending gilt yields higher and pushing sterling lower amid mounting speculation over Sir Keir Starmer's future.

Thirty-year gilt yields climbed by 0.09 percentage points to 5.76 per cent, moving closer to the 5.79 per cent level reached last week, which marked the highest level this century.

The move represented a second consecutive day of selling in UK Government debt as traders increasingly priced in political uncertainty at Westminster.

Our money reporter Joe Sledge has the full story here.

New poll puts Labour into joint third as Reform holds 11 point lead over Tories

A new poll has given Reform UK an 11 point lead over the Conservatives as Labour slumps into joint third with the Greens.

According to the YouGov poll, Nigel Farage's party is on 28 per cent, with the Tories on 17 per cent.

Sir Keir Starmer's party is on 17 per cent, joint with the Greens, with the Liberal Democrats in last on 13 per cent.

Senior Conservative blasts Keir Starmer - 'A total inability to understand the real challenges!'

A senior Conservative has called on the Prime Minister to resign as he said Labour has failed to understand "the real challenges."

Shadow Transport Secretary Richard Holden said: "I think the real question here is not about the driver, we could have a plethora of Labour MPs at the top of Government, its about the direction of Government.

"They've been heading in the wrong direction."

When asked if Sir Keir Starmer should resign, he said: "I think tis pretty clear when you've lost support of such a large part of your party.

"It's pretty clear Starmer has shown a total inability to understand where the country is and what the real big challenges are. It's what happened under my party and we're turning it around under Kemi."

Darren Jones denies Prime Minister's job is 'up for grabs'

Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones has denied the job of Prime Minister is "up for grabs".

He told Times Radio said: "No, and look, the vast majority of members of the Parliamentary Labour Party, of ministers, of members of the cabinet, are focused on getting to the office today and getting on with the job that we were elected to do.

"I appreciate that we had an awful set of election results last week and that many colleagues are hurting as a consequence of that. And it’s right that we have a conversation about the lessons to be learned there.

"But I would just say to my colleagues that we can have those conversations in private, we can agree a way forward there’s a way to have these conversations and a way not to have them."

Speaking about the job of Prime Minister, he added: "It’s a gruelling job.

"I think anybody who thinks that they can just walk into the job of prime minister and, like the second coming of the Messiah, fix all of our problems probably hasn’t really thought carefully enough about how difficult it is."

Darren Jones refuses to say if Keir Starmer will lead Labour into next General Election

Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones has refused to confirm if Keir Starmer will lead Labour into the next General Election,

Asked if Sir Keir would be leading Labour into the next election, Mr Jones said: "I’m not going to get ahead of any decision that the Prime Minister may or may not take.

"He was very clear yesterday that he will not be walking away, as some of my colleagues have asked him to do. We’ve got over 400 Labour MPs in the House of Commons. I think there are now 70 who have raised concerns publicly.

"All I would say is that the vast majority of us are focused on using the time we have in government to be able to deliver the types of change for people across the country that we’re also passionate about delivering, but that we have to work together then as a party in this new political era of five-party politics, of the rise of populist parties in our country, to be able to set the course for winning that next election."

Cabinet minister says discussion around Keir Starmer's future should take place in private

A cabinet minister has said the debate about the future of Sir Keir Starmer's time in Downing Street should take place in private.

Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones said Labour must not "fall into a trap" of open infighting.

He told Sky News: "I appreciate that we had an awful set of election results last week… It’s right that we had a conversation about the lessons to be learnt there. And I say to my colleagues we can have those conversations in private.

"There’s a way to have these conversations and a way not to have them."

He added Labour was "absolutely focused as the Government in this country on doing the right things by the public and the country".

Rhun ap Iorwerth to be sworn in as Welsh First Minister

Rhun ap Iorwerth, the leader of Plaid Cymru, will be sworn in as the next First Minister of Wales after his party won the most seats in a historic Welsh Parliament election.

With the vote scheduled to take place later today, Mr ap Iorwerth is expected to have the most support behind him to become the next leader of the country.

His party won the largest bloc in the Welsh Parliament in the election, but fell short of a majority with 43 Members of the Senedd (MSs). Mr ap Iorwerth, who said he will seek to form a minority government, could become the first Plaid Cymru MS to lead Wales.

In the vote later today, Mr ap Iorwerth will have the support of the Wales Green Party’s two MSs, Welsh Green leader Anthony Slaughter has said, as well as Plaid Cymru’s 43 members.

Wales has been led by a Labour first minister since the Welsh Parliament was established more than two decades ago.

Baroness Eluned Morgan, the outgoing first minister, resigned from her role as Welsh Labour leader after losing her seat in the Senedd election.

Ken Skates, who scraped in as the sixth and last MS to win a seat in Fflint Wrecsam, will serve as the party’s interim leader until a full leadership contest takes place.

Labour CHAOS: Left-wingers warn Wes Streeting they'll oust him - before he's even become Prime Minister

Labour in-fighting is already underway between the factions trying to replace Sir Keir Starmer - but the PM has not publicly said anything about resigning.

A "senior soft-left source" last night condemned Team Streeting for their public statements calling for a "swift" leadership contest before Andy Burnham can get in.

The source told Bloomberg: "If Wes thinks he can pull off some kind of stitch up to avoid a fair process that he will have no legitimacy even if he briefly ends up in office.

"There would be no support for the Government in the Commons and we would challenge him at the first opportunity.

"He'd be lucky to outlast a lettuce."

Outside No10... Zack Polanski now admits he paid the wrong council tax during stint on east London houseboat

Zack Polanski has admitted he failed to pay the correct council tax while he was living on a houseboat in east London.

The Green Party leader came under fire after an investigation by The Times raised questions over his living situation.

Speaking through a party spokesman, the 43-year-old previously claimed he only stayed on the vessel “occasionally” - but an unearthed online listing from his partner had described it as the pair's "amazing home".

Neighbours told the newspaper they believed Mr Polanski lived at the address permanently, saying they had seen him there “all the time”.

But now, the Greens have finally admitted that Mr Polanski was living at the property "until relatively recently", adding that it "came with its own unique practical circumstances and considerations".

A party spokesman said: "He has immediately taken steps to pay any council tax he may be found to owe... Zack apologises sincerely for the unintentional mistake."

Mr Polanski last year said Angela Rayner's tax scandal of her own was a "resigning matter", though added that his "first thought is actually compassion for when anyone makes a mistake"...

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Angela Rayner 'would be PM Andy Burnham's Foreign Secretary as reward for stepping aside'

Angela Rayner would be offered the Foreign Secretary job under Andy Burnham, political blog Guido Fawkes has revealed.

Figures in Ms Rayner's inner circle are lobbying for the post as a reward for stepping aside for the so-called "King of the North".

But time is running out for Mr Burnham's leadership bid, with the PM facing down his Cabinet today.

Allies of the Mayor say he will secure his return to Parliament by triggering another by-election in a nearby seat.

The Telegraph reported a seat has been identified - and that Mr Burnham's team believes it is "broadly confident" that it is "winnable".

Nigel Farage's Reform UK, however, could throw a major spanner in the works, picking up more than 200 seats in the North West last Thursday.

Andy Burnham prepares rallying cry to bond markets - Greater Manchester Mayor faces race against time to become PM

Andy Burnham is reporting to be preparing his pitch to the bond markets in a bid to shore up his credibility before a potential shot at No10.

The Greater Manchester Mayor, according to The Telegraph, will endorse an economics pamphlet to help raise his credentials on the national stage.

"The Productive State: A Framework for Manchesterism" will be published by Mainstream, a Labour-linked group affiliated with Mr Burnham which has called for more left-wing policies, in the coming weeks.

Sources close to discussions said the document would set out how Mr Burnham's ideas in Greater Manchester could be rolled out across the UK - as well as the wider economic theory behind his ideas, which allies hope will reassure markets.

It will also suggest that Mr Burnham is the natural heir to the "titans of political economy" in the Labour movement.