King Charles III outlined UK leader Keir Starmer’s legislative plans during a pomp-filled ceremony yesterday, despite uncertainty over the prime minister’s future as he faces calls to resign from his own party.

The monarch’s address, and its lavish traditions, was meant to be a brief interlude from the open warfare within the ruling Labour party over whether the unpopular premier should step down following disastrous local polls.

But UK media reported just before the speech that allies of Health Secretary Wes Streeting had said he was preparing to resign to mount a leadership challenge against Starmer.

Starmer had seen off an immediate threat on Tuesday despite four junior ministers resigning and the number of MPs urging him to quit passing 80, when no one broke ranks to trigger a leadership contest.

He met with Streeting yesterday at Downing Street before the King’s Speech for talks billed as a “showdown” by British media. But they lasted less than 20 minutes and Streeting left without commenting.