Keir Starmer announces resignation, becoming 6th U.K. prime minister to leave office in the past 10 years

Keir Starmer announced that he will resign as British prime minister.

Starmer confirmed on Monday morning that he would stand down after weeks of mounting speculation amid falling poll numbers and growing unrest within the ruling Labor Party.

He said he had informed King Charles of his decision and that he would remain prime minister until any contest for his replacement was completed (by September at the latest).

An emotional Starmer’s voice cracked as he thanked his wife Victoria and children at the end of his short speech.

He became the sixth British prime minister to be forcibly removed from office in the last 10 years.

While Starmer has repeatedly insisted he will fight any challenge to his leadership, the pressure intensified last week when Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester in England’s north-west, made a dramatic return to Parliament to stage a potential contest. Burnham has made little secret of her desire to challenge Starmer for the top job in recent months.

Questions are already being raised within the Labor Party about how a change of leadership would occur; some support a leadership race, while others support a quick transfer of power to Burnham.

Why has Starmer become so unpopular?

Starmer’s decline in popularity is notable, especially given the party’s massive general election victory in July 2024 that brings Labor to power for the first time since 2010. In hindsight, this victory was a result of unpopularity with the Conservative government it replaced, rather than overwhelming support for Labor or Starmer.

In the following months, Starmer’s support in the polls waned; Critics have consistently highlighted poor economic growth as well as rising economic growth. Number of policy reversals on key promisesIncluding social benefits, taxes and workers’ rights.

Labor MPs have also become increasingly concerned about the significant rise in popularity of the Reform Party led by Nigel Farage. Many experts say this poses a serious challenge in the next general election.

Who is Andy Burnham?

Burnham, 55, is a Liverpool-born Labor stalwart with deep roots in the party’s traditional heartlands in the north-west of England.

He served as a Member of Parliament for 16 years, during which time he twice lost Labor Party leadership elections. He left national politics in 2017 to become mayor of Greater Manchester, overseeing the devolution of powers for transport, housing and skills.

Dubbed the “King of the North” for his review of former prime minister Boris Johnson’s quarantine rules during the COVID-19 pandemic, he has transformed the region with projects such as a major new transport system.

Burnham has made little secret of her desire to return to frontline politics, which she successfully achieved after winning the high-profile local parliamentary election on June 18, paving the way for challenging Starmer’s leadership.

Known for her strong communication skills, Burnham has been vocal about the country needing a change of direction but has yet to provide any details on how she will deal with major issues such as lowering the cost of living, foreign affairs, the economy and defence.

He will also inherit the same problems that plagued Starmer, including high borrowing costs and minimal economic growth.

What happens next?

Starmer has set a timetable for his departure. Nominations to replace him will begin on July 9, and the new prime minister will take office by September.

If a candidate like Burnham can prove to have overwhelming support from the rest of the Labor Party, then any leadership race could be seen as unnecessary and Burnham would replace Starmer as party leader and automatically become prime minister.

Alternatively, if more than one candidate puts forward their name, a leadership contest will also be held. The most likely challenger is former health secretary Wes Streeting or former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner.

Although some think a leadership contest would be a better approach than Burnham’s coronation, neither would provide as much support as Burnham. This means Britain’s next prime minister will be determined without winning national votes.

Whoever replaces Starmer will become the seventh British prime minister in the chaotic decade since Cameron left office in July 2016, following David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak.

What does this mean for relations with the United States?

Starmer and Trump’s relationship started well; The prime minister scored a surprise diplomatic victory in February 2025 by presenting the president with a letter from King Charles inviting him to Britain for an unprecedented second state visit in September of that year. But the initially friendly relationship has soured in recent months.

Most importantly, Starmer’s refusal to allow US forces to use British military bases in the first wave of attacks on Iran was heavily criticized by Trump. Last week, Starmer announced a social media ban for under-16s despite the Trump administration warning against such a move.

In his Truth Social post on Sunday, Trump criticized Starmer, saying: “He has failed miserably on two important issues: IMMIGRATION AND ENERGY.”

If Burnham replaces Starmer, she will need to follow the same line of maintaining strong diplomatic relations with the US and not being seen as too close to an ally that has faced some criticism in the UK.