Keir Starmer announced that he will soon resign as prime minister of Britain. He said this at a briefing on the morning of June 22, broadcast by BBC News.
According to Starmer, a question had arisen inside the Labour Party over whether he was suited to lead it into the next election. The prime minister said he had “heard the party’s answer” and “accepts it with gratitude.”
“I will step down as leader of the Labour Party,” he said.
Nominations for the post of new leader will begin on July 9. Until a successor is elected, Starmer will continue to serve as prime minister. The Guardian notes that a new head of government could be appointed in late July or mid-August.
The main contender to become Britain’s new prime minister is said to be Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham. Last week, he won a parliamentary by-election and was elected as a Labour MP for the Makerfield constituency.
Starmer became prime minister in the summer of 2024, after Labour inflicted a crushing defeat on the Conservatives in the general election.
His position weakened after Labour’s failure in the May 2026 local elections, where it lost a significant share of the vote to Nigel Farage’s right-populist Reform UK.
As the BBC notes, Starmer’s popularity fell sharply because he failed to convince voters of his ability to improve the country’s economic situation. In addition, the prime minister has been criticized for lacking a clear understanding of where to lead the country and how to change its economy.
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