Starmer Faces Fractured Cabinet as Leadership Demands Mount; YouGov Poll Shows -46 Net Approval

A critical Cabinet meeting on 12 May 2026 laid bare the deepening splits within the Starmer government. Prime Minister Keir Starmer remained defiant in the face of mounting demands for his resignation, but Cabinet sources quoted by CNN and Al Jazeera described a visibly divided top team. Some ministers — including Health Secretary Wes Streeting — were reported to be openly assessing a leadership challenge, while others urged the government to stay united. A YouGov poll released around this period showed Starmer's net favourability at -46 (23% favourable, 69% unfavourable), marking one of the lowest approval ratings recorded for a sitting Prime Minister at this stage of a Parliament. The poll was cited by multiple ministers as evidence the government needed to change direction. Starmer declined to comment on the polling and continued to insist he would lead the party into the next general election.