Multiple UK Cabinet Ministers Resign

Four ministers resigned from the UK government on Monday as the prime minister clings to power and challenges any rivals to formally launch leadership bids. The prime minister told the cabinet that a leadership contest had not been triggered and that he would not be resigning.

He is preparing for a crunch meeting with the health secretary. The energy minister told cabinet colleagues he is prepared to run for leadership if the health secretary triggers an imminent contest, according to one report. The health secretary has been the subject of multiple profiles examining his background as a working class extrovert and questions over whether he carries similar political baggage to the prime minister.

Separately, members of parliament have warned that a decision to grant a US tech firm access to identifiable patient information held by the health service is dangerous. The move will fuel public fears that data privacy is not being prioritised, the MPs said.

The health service has given the US tech firm unlimited access to certain data before it has been pseudonymised to build an integrated platform using artificial intelligence. Internal concerns were raised about a risk of loss of public confidence, one outlet reported.

The health service allowed staff from the US tech firm and other contractors to access patient data in this way, according to the report. He has directly challenged potential challengers to put themselves forward rather than destabilise the administration through background briefings.

One analysis noted that the health secretary carries a lot of the same baggage as the prime minister. The health secretary has not publicly confirmed whether he will trigger a leadership contest. The energy minister's statement to cabinet ministers about his willingness to run was made if the health secretary moves first.

The prime minister continues to hold meetings with senior figures including the health secretary as he seeks to stabilise the situation. The controversy over patient data access runs in parallel to the political turmoil. MPs have highlighted the decision to allow the US tech firm to handle identifiable information prior to pseudonymisation.