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He’s been called the “Secretary of Everything”, with his many jobs sparking ridicule – and now, the memes surrounding US secretary of state Marco Rubio’s multiple occupations have crossed the pond to concern UK politics, as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer faces calls to resign following disastrous election results last week.
Thursday saw elections take place for English councillors, as seats in the Welsh Senedd and Scottish Parliament, and major losses for Starmer’s Labour Party came in the form of losing control of 35 councils and being voted out of government in Wales after 27 years in power.
Starmer delivered a speech on Monday hoping to convince MPs to support him going forward, in which he said: “I’m not going to shy away from the fact that I’ve got some doubters, including in my own party.
“I’m not going to shy away from the fact that I have to prove them wrong, and I will.”
While it was enough for one Labour MP – former Foreign Office minister Catherine West – to back down from her threat of triggering a leadership election (though she has now called on Starmer to set out a timetable for his resignation), more than 80 MPs from his own party have called on him to quit.
Ministerial aides Tom Rutland and Joe Morris both resigned and urged Starmer to step aside, and on Tuesday, communities minister Miatta Fahnbulleh became the first government minister to resign and call on the prime minister to establish a timetable for an “orderly transition”.
Cabinet members Shabana Mahmood (the justice secretary) and Yvette Cooper (the foreign secretary) are also reported to have told Starmer to stand down.
Health secretary Wes Streeting is one prominent Labour figure believed to be eyeing up a leadership bid, but one X/Twitter user joked Rubio could have the job:
“Marco Rubio: the first Cuban American to serve as British PM,” wrote Utah senator Mike Lee:
And GB News presenter Bev Turner commented: “We’ll have him”:
For now, though, Starmer isn’t stepping down, as he told his cabinet on Tuesday that he “will not quit”.
Sorry, Marco.
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