By Ghazali Ibrahim
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has announced that he will resign as prime minister, bowing to mounting pressure from within the governing Labour Party less than two years after leading the party to a landslide election victory.
Starmer made the announcement on Monday outside 10 Downing Street, saying he had accepted that many members of his parliamentary party no longer believed he was the right person to lead Labour into the next general election.
He said he would remain in office during a transition period while the party elects a new leader.
“The question my party is asking now is whether I am best placed to lead us into the next general election,” Starmer said.
“I have heard the answer of my parliamentary party to that question, and I accept that answer with good grace.”
His resignation comes after weeks of growing unrest within Labour ranks following disappointing local election results, falling public approval ratings and concerns among lawmakers about the party’s prospects at the next national election.
Pressure on Starmer intensified after former Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham returned to Parliament through a recent by-election victory, fuelling speculation about a leadership challenge.
Burnham is widely regarded as the frontrunner to succeed Starmer and has confirmed his intention to seek the Labour leadership.
Former Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who had been viewed as a potential contender, has reportedly thrown his support behind Burnham, potentially smoothing his path to the top job.
Starmer led Labour back to power in the 2024 general election, ending years of Conservative rule and securing one of the party’s biggest parliamentary majorities in modern history.
However, his government later faced criticism over economic challenges, public services, immigration policies and a series of political setbacks that weakened his authority within the party.
Despite his domestic difficulties, Starmer received international recognition for his support of Ukraine and his handling of major foreign policy issues.
The Labour Party is expected to begin the process of selecting a new leader in the coming weeks, with a replacement expected to be in place before Parliament returns in September.
The change will make Britain’s next leader the country’s seventh prime minister in the decade since the 2016 Brexit referendum.
