On May 13, Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and Special Presidential Envoy for Investment and Economic Cooperation, made an ironic comment on social media platform X in response to reports that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer may face resignation.
The remarks followed information from Financial Times (FT) that UK Health Minister Wes Streeting is being considered as a candidate for prime minister amid potential leadership struggles within the Labour Party. According to FT, Streeting’s candidacy is part of an internal contest with representatives of the center-left wing, and sources indicated that a significant crisis could escalate by Thursday, May 14.
In his post on X, Dmitriev wrote: “Viewers are running out of popcorn as they watch the slow collapse that Starmer’s resignation has become. It’s like removing wisdom teeth without wisdom itself.”
On the same day, Dmitriev also joked that inhabitants of Earth, along with alien civilizations, were waiting for Starmer to step down from the prime ministerial role and coined the term “united by Cyrus” to describe those advocating for his resignation.
Sky News reported on May 11 that the number of Labour MPs urging Starmer to resign had risen to 50, with some calling for an orderly transition to select new leadership and resume party operations.
