Britain’s prime minister fights for his political life
Newshour
BBC
4.2 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 12 May 2026
⏱️ 42 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The UK's Prime Minister Keir Starmer is still fighting for his political life amid open revolt in his own party; do the rebels have the numbers to oust him - or can he hang on?
Also in the programme: a special report from Khartoum three years into Sudan's civil war, where land mines are hampering aid efforts; how enjoying cultural activities can help slow down biological ageing; and - a propos - we have an appreciation of Shostakovich's first symphony, 100 years after its premiere in Leningrad.
(IMAGE: Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer walks through the Member's Lobby of the Houses of Parliament in London to the House of Lords to hear the King's Speech during the State Opening of Parliament, Wednesday May 13, 2026 / CREDIT: Toby Melville/PA Wire)
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, podcasts. |
| 0:08.9 | Hello and welcome to News Hour live from the BBC World Service in London. |
| 0:13.7 | I'm Rebecca Kesbby. |
| 0:15.4 | Today, can Sarkir Starmat survive as British Prime Minister amid a massive revolt in his own party. |
| 0:22.9 | And if he does survive the week or even the day, how long has he realistically got with at least 80 MPs, |
| 0:30.7 | including Cabinet members, now calling for him to go? |
| 0:33.9 | It's already been a dramatic day. |
| 0:35.8 | Ministers dodging the press as they arrived at number |
| 0:38.1 | 10 for this morning's cabinet meeting, and this was the scene they faced. Do you have confidence |
| 0:44.2 | in the Prime Minister? Should the Prime Minister fight on Ministers? Has the Prime Minister lost confidence |
| 0:51.2 | of the Cabinet? Should he fight on, Ministers? |
| 0:56.0 | Should the Prime Minister resign, Mr. Milibund? |
| 0:59.0 | Is it over for Kiyasdama? |
| 1:02.0 | Will you ask the Prime Minister to resign, Mr. Healy? |
| 1:06.0 | Should the Prime Minister resign, Mr. Lummi? |
| 1:08.0 | Where's streeting? Do you want to be Prime Minister? Yes. Where's treating? Do you want to be Prime Minister? |
| 1:12.1 | Where's streaking? Are you measuring the curtains? |
| 1:15.1 | Well, technically, having won a landslide election for the Labour Party just two years ago, |
| 1:20.4 | it is another three years before Mr Stama has to call another general election. |
| 1:25.6 | But results in last week's local elections were so dismal for Labour. |
| 1:29.9 | Some in the party say now is the time to replace him as leader, |
| 1:33.2 | to allow a new leader time to get ahead in the polls before the next election. |
... |
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