Keir Starmer Resigns as U.K. Prime Minister and Labour Leader

London — Keir Starmer announced Monday that he will resign as British prime minister and leader of the governing Labour Party following mounting pressure from members of his party.

Starmer said he would remain prime minister until Labour selects a new leader in the coming weeks, allowing for an orderly transfer of power.

“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. Every decision I’ve taken has been about putting the country I love first. That is why I will resign as leader of the Labour party. I have spoken to His Majesty the King this morning to inform him of my decision,” Starmer said outside 10 Downing Street.

Starmer led Labour to a landslide election victory in July 2024, returning the party to power after 14 years of Conservative government. His administration, however, faced growing criticism over its policies and declining support among voters and Labour lawmakers.

In his resignation statement, Starmer said he entered government intending to build a fairer country in which wealth and opportunity were available to everyone rather than only a privileged few.

“A page in our country’s history turned after years of disappointment and despair, the chance to change the lives of millions of people for the better. That’s what I came into politics for. The journey to that point was not easy. Six years ago, I inherited a Labour party that was politically, financially and morally bankrupt.

“I was told time and time again that my party was finished, that we were consigned to history, that a majority at the general election, let alone a landslide majority, was impossible. We proved those people wrong because we changed our party, ripping out the poison of antisemitism, restoring trust on the economy, defence and national security, and becoming a party that once again stood proudly with God against our national flag,” he said.

Pressure on Starmer intensified after reports indicated that a growing number of Labour lawmakers no longer believed he could lead the party into the next general election.

Andy Burnham is widely viewed as a leading contender to succeed Starmer after winning the Makerfield parliamentary by-election and securing growing support among Labour lawmakers.

The next Labour leader would be expected to become prime minister because the party holds a majority in the House of Commons. (Source: IANS)