LONDON (VGMG) — Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Monday morning that he will resign as leader of the Labour Party and step down as prime minister once a successor is chosen, capping weeks of intensifying political pressure that culminated in a weekend of private appeals from senior cabinet ministers.
In an emotional statement outside 10 Downing Street, Starmer said the party had asked “whether I am best placed to lead us into the next general election.”
“I have heard the answer of my parliamentary party to that question, and I accept that answer with good grace,” he said. “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.”
Starmer, who swept to power in a landslide election victory in July 2024, will remain in office as caretaker prime minister until the Labour leadership contest is completed. He has informed King Charles III of his decision and pledged to give his successor “full, unequivocal support” while ensuring “an orderly handover of power.”
Pressure Campaign That Led to Resignation
The political crisis intensified over the weekend, with reports indicating that Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper privately urged Starmer to resign. She joined at least two other cabinet ministers who had publicly or privately called for the Prime Minister to establish a timeline for departure.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander had previously urged Starmer to set a departure timetable. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood also called for the Prime Minister to determine an exit date, according to British media reports.
The pressure mounted following a by-election in the Makerfield constituency, where Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, won the seat and returned to Parliament. Burnham secured victory in the by-election on Thursday, with the result being announced in the early hours of Friday. Widely viewed as a potential successor to Starmer, Burnham had stated during his campaign that he would seek to join any challenge to the party leadership if elected.
According to Reuters, more than 100 Labour MPs had publicly indicated they wanted Starmer to resign or establish a departure timetable, representing approximately one-quarter of the party’s total in Parliament.
Business Secretary Peter Kyle told Sky News that he saw no reason to believe Starmer would announce his resignation, though he acknowledged having a “frank conversation” with Starmer about the challenges he faced. The Observer newspaper reported that Starmer had spent the weekend at the official country residence, Chequers, discussing his decision with his family.
Resignation Timeline and Succession
Starmer has asked the Labour Party’s National Executive Committee to set out a timetable to ensure a new leader is in place by the time Parliament returns after its summer recess. Nominations for the leadership will open on July 9, one week before Parliament’s summer recess, and will close on July 16; a new leader is expected to be in place before Parliament returns in September.
Andy Burnham, who decisively won the Makerfield by-election on Thursday and was sworn in as an MP on Monday, is the overwhelming favourite to succeed Starmer. Former Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who resigned last month to protest Starmer’s leadership, has also expressed interest in running.