United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer sought to shift the focus from personalities to policy on Wednesday as the King's Speech to Parliament set out his government's legislative agenda for the coming year.

King Charles III delivers the King's Speech in the House of Lords Chamber during the State Opening of Parliament on May 13, 2026, in London, England. (Photo via China Daily)

The speech, written by the government but delivered with royal pageantry by King Charles III, outlined new initiatives on energy security, defense, immigration and education reform, but it was the internal wranglings of the governing Labour Party that continued to dominate the headlines across the UK.

Starmer, who has been in office for less than two years, has faced mounting pressure following Labour's dismal performance in last week's local elections, with his leadership being picked out as one of the main causes of voter rejection.

On Tuesday, four ministers resigned in protest against Starmer's continued leadership. The most high-profile departure was Health Secretary Wes Streeting, widely regarded as a serious contender to replace him.

Another possible candidate would be Andy Burnham, though the Greater Manchester mayor would first need to return to Parliament before mounting a leadership bid, likely requiring a sitting Labour lawmaker to vacate a seat and trigger a by-election.

On Wednesday morning, Streeting was called in to Starmer's Downing Street office for a face-to-face meeting, leaving less than 20 minutes later.

Around lunchtime, The Daily Telegraph reported that Streeting was set to quit his post, with an ally saying he was "going to go for it" after the meeting, and that a leadership contest could be triggered as soon as Thursday.

Starmer's spokesperson, meanwhile, told reporters on Wednesday that "the prime minister has full confidence in the health secretary".

The BBC's political editor, Chris Mason, quoted a Starmer loyalist as saying that Streeting lacked sufficient backing to trigger a formal leadership challenge, while Burnham "doesn't have a seat, for all this noise". "Wes has bottled it and caused massive damage and instability in the process," the ally added.

Sky News reported that more than 100 Labour lawmakers have added their names to a letter saying the party needs to focus on "working together to deliver the change the country needs … this is no time for a leadership contest", but it is believed that around 90 others have come out and called on Starmer to go.

In a further blow to his authority, 11 major trade unions affiliated with the Labour Party have issued a joint statement calling the local election results "devastating", and saying they have no confidence in Starmer's continued leadership.