By Ayo Kehinde
Miatta Fahnbulleh resigned from the British government on Tuesday and told Prime Minister Keir Starmer to prepare an exit timeline after declaring that he had lost the trust and confidence of the British public.
In a resignation letter, Fahnbulleh said the public no longer believed Starmer could deliver the change promised by the Labour Party and urged him to begin an orderly leadership transition.
Fahnbulleh, who served as Minister for Devolution, Faith and Communities, became the first minister to quit Starmer’s administration amid escalating internal unrest within the ruling Labour Party.
In the resignation letter, which she shared publicly on social media, the former minister openly questioned Starmer’s leadership and his ability to deliver Labour’s reform agenda.
“The public does not believe that you can lead this change – and nor do I,” Fahnbulleh wrote in one of the sharpest public attacks yet on Starmer from within his own government.
She further urged the Prime Minister to “do the right thing for the country and the Party” by setting a timetable for a leadership transition that would allow “a new team” to take over and implement Labour’s promised reforms.
Fahnbulleh’s departure comes ahead of a crucial cabinet meeting and amid reports that more than 70 Labour Members of Parliament are demanding either Starmer’s immediate resignation or a formal timetable for his departure.
In her resignation letter, Fahnbulleh acknowledged several achievements during her time in government.
She pointed to her previous role as Minister for Energy Consumers, where she helped secure energy bill discounts for approximately six million households and supported the rollout of the government’s Warm Homes Plan.
She also highlighted accomplishments in her current portfolio, including the implementation of the Pride in Place Programme, reforms under the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act, and efforts aimed at tackling hate, extremism and social division across communities in the United Kingdom.
Despite these achievements, the former minister argued that the government had failed to govern with the urgency and conviction required by the scale of challenges facing the country.
“Whilst progress has been made, we have not acted with the vision, pace and ambition that our mandate for change demands of us,” she stated.
She further accused the Labour government of drifting away from its core political values and failing to inspire confidence among ordinary voters.
“Nor have we governed as a Labour Party clear about our values and strong in our convictions,” she added.
Fahnbulleh specifically criticised controversial policy decisions that she said had alienated many Labour supporters and weakened public trust in the government.
According to her, reforms relating to winter fuel payments and cuts to support for disabled people had caused significant political damage and left many constituents questioning the government’s mission.
“Mistakes such as the winter fuel payment and cuts to the support provided to disabled people have left too many of my constituents doubting our mission,” she wrote.
She said feedback from voters during political engagements made it clear that Starmer’s popularity had sharply declined.
“The message on the doorstep was clear: you, Prime Minister, have lost the trust and confidence of the public,” the resignation letter stated.
Fahnbulleh concluded her letter with a warning that Britain faces “enormous challenges” that require bold leadership, urgent reforms and a renewed sense of direction.
The Prime Minister’s office had not issued an official response at the time of filing this report.
