British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday he would resign as leader of the Labour Party, bowing to pressure from within his own party to step down and opening the door to a leadership contest to replace him as Britain’s next leader.
“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 of my parliamentary party to that question, and I accept that answer with good grace,” Starmer told reporters on June 22 in London.
Starmer said he will remain prime minister until a successor is chosen and pledged an orderly transfer of power.
“I will also give my 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, better prepared for the challenges ahead, and better able to ensure the Labor Party secures a second term in office,” he said.
He said the party’s National Executive Committee will open nominations on July 9 and complete the leadership contest before Parliament’s summer recess, ensuring a new leader is in place before lawmakers return in September.
The resignation marks a dramatic fall for a leader who swept Labour to a landslide election victory less than two years ago, paving the way for Britain’s seventh leader in a decade.
Focus will now shift to potential successors, including Andy Burnham, the Greater Manchester mayor whose recent return to Parliament intensified questions about Starmer’s future amid Labour’s declining poll numbers and growing concern among lawmakers about the party’s electoral prospects.
Starmer’s announcement came a day after U.S. President Donald Trump predicted that the British leader would step down, with Trump saying he wishes Starmer well while blaming him for having “failed badly on two very important subjects—immigration and energy.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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