There are at least 12 Christian MPs among those calling for the Prime Minister to resign.

Following Labour’s disastrous local election results, at least 80 MPs are now reported to have urged Sir Keir Starmer either to step down immediately or to set out a clear timetable for his departure.

The party lost more than 1,400 council seats across the UK, including major defeats in Wales after decades of Labour dominance, as well as heavy losses across traditional industrial heartlands in central and northern England.

The surge of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK has intensified pressure on Labour, with the party making significant gains among working-class voters who feel increasingly disconnected from Sir Keir’s leadership and policy platform.

Among the Christian MPs understood to have called for the Prime Minister to resign are Rachael Maskell, Bell Ribeiro-Addy and Alex Ballinger.

On Monday, the Government’s Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief and Christian, David Smith, acknowledged Sir Keir’s role in rebuilding Labour ahead of the party’s landslide victory at the 2024 General Election. However, he said the Prime Minister should now, as a “man of integrity”, take responsibility for Labour’s collapse in support and “pass on the leadership baton”.

Anna Dixon has also publicly called for Sir Keir to step down. Speaking on Premier’s A Mucky Business podcast with Tim Farron, she said the party needed “a fresh start” following Labour’s electoral collapse.

"As a Christian, I find it very difficult when we're talking about the personality and people's lives involved, when there are discussions about the future of the Prime Minister," she said.

"I bear that those conversations very heavily, prayerfully...I see that he is a good man, a man of integrity, but sadly, I think we are reaching a point where there is no return. The large swath of the electorate has lost faith, not so much in the Labour Party, but in his leadership. Whilst I wish it were otherwise, I'm sadly think we find ourselves in that position."

Other Christian MPs reported to have joined calls for the Prime Minister to go include:

• Ruth Jones (MP for Newport West and Islwyn)
• Sarah Smith (MP for North Northumberland / Hyndburn)
• Sarah Owen (MP for Luton North)
• Cat Eccles (MP for Stourbridge)
• Rebecca Long-Bailey (MP Salford)
• Andy McDonald (MP for Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
• Paulette Hamilton (MP for Birmingham Erdington)

Speaking on Monday, Sir Keir Starmer said he will not resign and vowed to “face up to the big challenges ahead”.

(This article has been amended to remove Cat Smith MP from the list.)