UK: Labour party in turmoil as top officials resign

LONDON (AA) - U.K. Shadow Health Secretary Heidi Alexander has stepped down on Sunday, citing the lach of leadership of Jeremy Corbyn.

"As much as I respect you as a man of principle, I do not believe you have the capacity to shape the answers our country is demanding," she said in a letter to the Labour party leader, which she posted on her Twitter account.

Her resignation came after Shadow Foreign Secretary Hilary Benn was sacked by the Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn.

In a statement released in the very early hours of Sunday morning , Benn said: "There is no confidence to win the next election if Jeremy continues as leader."

“It has now become clear that there is widespread concern among Labour MPs and in the shadow cabinet about Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership of our party,” Benn said in his statement. “In a phone call I told him for this reasons I lost my confidence in his ability to lead the party and then he dismissed me from the Shadow cabinet.”

The Guardian reported on Sunday that more than half of the shadow cabinet was set to step down.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn made it clear to all his critics Saturday that he was here to stay as head of the party and would not step down following his alleged shortcomings in preventing the Brexit vote. Asked whether he would run again if there was a leadership election within his party, he said: "Yes, I'm here, thank you."

The Labour leader faces a challenging week following a motion of no-confidence filed by two senior MPs, Margaret Hodge and Ann Coffey, from his party Friday.

The motion is expected to lead the discussions within the party Monday, before a secret ballot of MPs is held Tuesday.