An emotional Keir Starmer stood at a lectern outside No 10 on Monday morning and announced he would step down as prime minister, less than two years after leading Labour to a historic general election victory. His voice cracking, he said: “The question my party is asking now is whether I am best placed to lead us into the next general election – I have heard the answer from my parliamentary party and I accept that answer with good grace.” Starmer confirmed he had informed the King of his decision and would remain in office until a successor is in place, with nominations for the Labour leadership opening on 9 July and closing by 16 July. He pledged to give his successor “my full and unequivocal support, knowing that they will inherit a Britain that is far stronger and fairer than the one I inherited two years ago.”
The resignation followed months of mounting pressure. A damaging by-election defeat in February, where Labour lost a formerly safe seat to the Greens after Starmer blocked then-Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham from standing, was followed by dire local and national election results in May. Those results prompted Wes Streeting to resign as health secretary, along with a clutch of junior ministers. Starmer’s authority ebbed further when defence secretary John Healey resigned amid a row over defence spending. But the final blow came after Burnham’s decisive victory in the Makerfield by-election last week, where he successfully held off Reform UK. Burnham returned to Westminster on Monday to be sworn in as an MP, greeted by loud cheers from Labour benches and a cry of “He’s not the messiah” from an opposition MP. Within hours of Starmer’s resignation, Streeting – widely seen as Burnham’s main rival – ruled himself out and threw his weight behind Burnham, saying “he can win the fight of our lives against the forces of nationalism.” Burnham confirmed he would put himself forward and is regarded as having more than enough support among Labour MPs to get on the ballot. If no other MP stands, he would become Labour leader automatically, allowing him to enter Downing Street as early as mid-July.
“Keir Starmer resigns as UK prime minister amid pressure, paving way for Andy Burnham to succeed.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen praised Starmer’s statesmanship in a warm message on X, writing: “It can take many leaders years to grow into the statesman you became in just two years.” She highlighted his efforts to reinforce European defence and his steadfast support for Ukraine, noting the EU–UK security partnership signed last year. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also thanked Starmer, saying Britain would remain “among the world’s leaders” and that every meeting had been “filled with real substance”. In contrast, Donald Trump blasted Starmer on Truth Social, saying he had “failed badly” on immigration and energy policy.
Starmer spent the weekend at Chequers with his wife Victoria, who was at his side as he announced his resignation. A source told i newspaper: “I think Keir and Vic were really the only ones to decide.” By Sunday, the prime minister’s thinking had shifted, and drafts of a resignation speech were being prepared. He described stepping down as allowing him to spend more time on “the most important job” of being a good husband and father. Starmer leaves No 10 as the shortest-serving Labour prime minister in history, and the UK will soon have its seventh prime minister since 2016.