𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Sir Keir has faced mounting calls to quit in the wake of Labour’s disastrous local election results last week, prompting speculation his critics within the Cabinet were prepared to tell him it was time to resign.

But by lunchtime on Thursday, only Mr Streeting, who was later replaced by former chief secretary to the Treasury James Murray, had quit the Government.

However, in doing so, he had not – as some had expected – launched a leadership bid in the process, as he urged Sir Keir to allow the “best possible field of candidates” to run to replace him in Downing Street.

It is still unclear whether Mr Streeting has the support of 81 Labour MPs as needed to launch a formal challenge against the Prime Minister.