Local MPs Vary in Their Support for Keir Starmer
Ruth Cadbury offers full-throated backing while Rupa Huq equivocates
L to R: Andy Slaughter, Rupa Huq, Ruth Cadbury
May 14, 2026
The three Labour MPs who represent local constituencies have taken different positions this week as Keir Starmer fights for his political survival following Labour's disastrous local election results.
At least 86 of his party colleagues in Westminster have now called for Starmer to resign or clarify a timetable for his departure while four junior ministers have quit the government along with the exit of Wes Streeting this Thursday (14 May)
Against that backdrop, the positions of Ruth Cadbury, Andy Slaughter and Rupa Huq reveal the fault lines running through the parliamentary party — and carry significant institutional weight given the senior committee roles two of them hold.
The most detailed statement of the three has come from Ruth Cadbury, MP for Brentford and Isleworth, who confirmed that she was one of the more than 100 Labour backbenchers to sign the letter backing the Prime Minister.
In a substantive statement issued this Thursday, she argued that while the local election results were "clearly poor," changing Prime Minister now would be a serious mistake. Pointing to the conflict in Iran, the war in Ukraine and the global economic crisis, she said the country needs "a strong and tested Prime Minister" — and that Starmer is the right person for the job. Drawing on recent Conservative history, she warned explicitly against "lurch[ing] from one Prime Minister to another," and expressed scepticism that any successor would offer meaningfully different policies.
She also reflected candidly on the government's communications difficulties, noting that despite what she sees as genuine delivery — rail renationalisation, free breakfast clubs, lifting the two-child benefit limit — "the messages people hear, including increasingly through social media, are not landing." Her statement called for stable leadership and a renewed focus on making those achievements heard.
She was elected Chair of the Transport Select Committee in September 2024 — one of the most influential roles in Parliament concerning national transport policy, in which she oversees government transport strategies, questions ministers, and ensures accountability in major infrastructure projects. Committee chairs are elected by the whole House and are expected to exercise a degree of independence; for her to come out so firmly for Starmer is therefore a meaningful signal, not a routine act of loyalty.
Andy Slaughter, MP for Hammersmith and Chiswick, is also among the London MPs who signed the pro-Starmer letter. Unlike his colleague in Brentford & Isleworth, he is yet to issue a public statement elaborating on his reasons, but his signature on the letter places him clearly in the loyalist camp.
His endorsement is notable given his history of taking a stand on issue of importance to him. He resigned from the Labour frontbench in June 2016 citing concerns over Jeremy Corbyn's leadership, and in November 2023 he voted for an SNP amendment to the King's Speech demanding an immediate Gaza ceasefire, contrary to Labour's official position.
He is currently Chair of the Justice Select Committee, which examines the policies and spending of the Ministry of Justice and scrutinises new government legislation. Two select committee chairs from west London both backing Starmer in the same week is not an insignificant show of support.
Rupa Huq, MP for Ealing Central and Acton has a less clear cut position. Her name appeared on the published list of more than 100 MPs backing the Prime Minister — but she publicly denied having signed it, posting on X: "Surprised to see my name on this list when I haven't either signed any letter supporting the PM or called for the PM to go?? Not very courteous of colleagues to put names down without their approval."
The episode leaves her in a formally neutral position but the manner in which her name appeared has generated its own story. Dr Huq currently sits on the Culture, Media and Sport Committee and the Panel of Chairs, roles that fall below the seniority of a full committee chair but are nonetheless positions of parliamentary responsibility.
She was suspended from the Labour Party in September 2022 over remarks about Kwasi Kwarteng, regaining the whip in March 2023 after apologising and undertaking training. She has also been among Labour MPs who have voted against the party line on Gaza. Her silence on the leadership question this week may reflect a considered neutrality — or simply, as she suggests, that she was not asked. She declined to elaborate on her position when we asked her.
Starmer has insisted he does not intend to quit, with Downing Street stating that "the Labour Party has a process for challenging a leader and that has not been triggered." Foreign Secretary David Lammy warned that "navel-gazing" within Labour would only benefit Nigel Farage and Reform UK.
Like Reading Articles Like This? Help Us Produce More This site remains committed to providing local community news and public interest journalism. Articles such as the one above are integral to what we do. We aim to feature as much as possible on local societies, charities based in the area, fundraising efforts by residents, community-based initiatives and even helping people find missing pets. We've always done that and won't be changing, in fact we'd like to do more. However, the readership that these stories generates is often below that needed to cover the cost of producing them. Our financial resources are limited and the local media environment is intensely competitive so there is a constraint on what we can do. We are therefore asking our readers to consider offering financial support to these efforts. Any money given will help support community and public interest news and the expansion of our coverage in this area. A suggested monthly payment is £8 but we would be grateful for any amount for instance if you think this site offers the equivalent value of a subscription to a daily printed newspaper you may wish to consider £20 per month. If neither of these amounts is suitable for you then contact info@neighbournet.com and we can set up an alternative. All payments are made through a secure web site. One-off donations are also appreciated. Choose The Amount You Wish To Contribute. If you do support us in this way we'd be interested to hear what kind of articles you would like to see more of on the site – send your suggestions to the editor. For businesses we offer the chance to be a corporate sponsor of community content on the site. For £30 plus VAT per month you will be the designated sponsor of at least one article a month with your logo appearing if supplied. If there is a specific community group or initiative you'd like to support we can make sure your sponsorship is featured on related content for a one off payment of £50 plus VAT. All payments are made through a secure web site. |