On Monday, Sir Keir Starmer stood outside Downing Street to announce his resignation as prime minister, after losing the confidence of his own MPs and key cabinet members. He became the shortest-serving Labour prime minister in history, having taken office in July 2024 and resigned in June 2026 — less than two years in power. His departure opens the way for a successor, with Andy Burnham poised to become prime minister within weeks.
Starmer, who led Labour to a landslide general election victory in 2024, entered Downing Street with a mandate to restore trust in politics and deliver on five key pledges: securing the highest sustained growth in the G7, “smashing” the small boat gangs, cutting NHS waiting times, making Britain a clean energy superpower, and reducing crime. But by the time he left, opinion polls showed his personal ratings had slumped badly. A YouGov poll in August 2024 gave him a net popularity rating of minus 7 (36% doing well, 43% badly). By June 2026, that had fallen to minus 56 (18% doing well, 74% badly). Ipsos polling suggested his ratings among voters were worse than any modern predecessor, including Rishi Sunak, Boris Johnson and Theresa May.
“An explainer on Sir Keir Starmer's premiership, his resignation, and key facts about his time in government.”
Why did things go so wrong? The economy provided some bright spots: between the second quarter of 2024 and the first quarter of 2026, the UK economy grew by 2.3% overall — faster than any other G7 country apart from the US (3.7%). The UK also registered the fastest G7 growth in the first quarter of 2026 at 0.6%. But the International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecast that growth would fall sharply to 0.8% in 2026 as a whole, partly due to the energy shock from the US conflict with Iran, and weaker than the US (2.3%), Canada (1.5%) and France (0.9%). On immigration, net migration fell to 171,000 in 2025, down 48% on the previous year and far below the Conservative-era peak of 944,000 in 2023. Small boat crossings continued, though 2026 arrivals were 41% lower than the same period in 2025. But the total number of Channel crossings since 2018 passed 200,000 under his watch, and 2025 had the second-highest annual total on record. On health, Starmer pledged that 92% of patients in England would be seen within 18 weeks by the end of the Parliament — but the latest data for April 2026 showed only 65% hitting that target.
For UK readers, Starmer’s premiership matters because it reveals the fragility of political mandates in an era of high expectations and constrained resources. His fall from grace — from a 36% approval rating to 18% — shows how quickly a leader’s personal standing can erode when voters feel promises are not being kept. It also illustrates the challenges any successor will face: an economy vulnerable to global shocks, a health service struggling to meet targets, and the continuing pressure of migration and small boat crossings. The Labour Party now faces a leadership transition, with Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, widely seen as the next prime minister. The change could bring new policies, especially on regional devolution, but the underlying problems remain.
Q: Why did Keir Starmer resign? Starmer resigned after losing the confidence of his MPs and key members of his cabinet. He appeared outside Downing Street on Monday to announce his departure, becoming the shortest-serving Labour prime minister.
Q: What were Starmer’s key pledges as prime minister? His main promises included achieving the highest sustained growth in the G7, “smashing” the small boat gangs, cutting NHS waiting times so 92% of patients were seen within 18 weeks, making Britain a clean energy superpower, and reducing crime.
Q: How did the economy and migration perform under Starmer? The UK grew faster than most G7 countries in early 2026, but the IMF forecast weak growth later that year. Net migration fell sharply to 171,000 in 2025, while small boat crossings declined 41% in 2026 compared to 2025, though total crossings since 2018 passed 200,000.
What happens next: Andy Burnham is expected to become prime minister within weeks, following Starmer’s resignation. The new leader will inherit a government facing a fragile economy, an NHS struggling to meet targets, and ongoing migration challenges. The IMF’s latest forecasts suggest the UK’s growth will remain below the US and Canada in 2027, and the energy shock from the US-Iran conflict continues to pose risks.