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Starmer resigns, making way for UK’s seventh prime minister in a decade

Keir Starmer announced his intention to step down as Britain’s prime minister on Monday, succumbing to intense party pressure as his popularity plummeted and rivals…

By Samantha Johnson / June 22, 2026

Keir Starmer announced his intention to step down as Britain’s prime minister on Monday, succumbing to intense party pressure as his popularity plummeted and rivals manoeuvred to challenge him.

“Every decision I have taken has been about putting the country I love first. That is why I will resign as leader of the Labour Party,” an emotional Starmer said in a short speech outside 10 Downing Street in London.

Starmer, who up until Monday had resisted calls to stand aside, said he would remain caretaker prime minister until a new Labour leader is chosen in the next few weeks. It was anticipated that there would be a new prime minister in place by September.

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He made the announcement on the same day his likely successor, Andy Burnham, was due to be sworn in as an MP after winning a pivotal vote last Friday.

For months, political buzz has been building around 56-year-old Labour Party veteran Burnham, who is widely known across the UK as the “King of the North”, and who served as the mayor of Greater Manchester for nine years.

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The party’s leader must be a member of Parliament. Burnham’s path to Parliament was made possible by a key by-election last week in Makerfield as his national prominence has risen.

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