UK safeguarding minister resigns in protest at PM Starmer's leadership

LONDON, May 12 (Reuters) - ​Britain's safeguarding minister Jess Phillips resigned from ​government ‌on Tuesday in protest at Prime ⁠Minister Keir Starmer's leadership, adding ⁠to pressure on ​Starmer after a poor performance in last week's local elections.

Her exit comes as ​more ‌than 80 lawmakers from the governing Labour Party have publicly called on Starmer to set ​a timetable for his departure.

"The desire not ‌to have an argument means we rarely make ‌an argument, leaving opportunities for progress stalled and delayed," Phillips said in a scathing ​resignation letter to Starmer, which was first reported ‌by Sky News.

"I want a Labour government to work ..., but I'm ⁠not ⁠seeing the change I think ‌I, and the country expect, and so ​cannot continue ​to serve as a ‌minister under the current leadership."