Starmer announces he will resign

Sir Keir Starmer has announced that he will resign as Prime Minister and Labour leader, saying he no longer has the confidence of his MPs.

Starmer made the announcement on 22 June, four days after the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, won a by-election to return to Parliament.

The Burnham factor

Burnham won the Makerfield by-election on 18 June, defeating the Reform UK candidate by more than 9,000 votes. The by-election was called after the local Labour MP, Josh Simons, resigned his seat to give Burnham the chance to return to the Commons.

Labour rules mean only MPs can stand for the party leadership. Burnham was sworn in as an MP on the same day that Starmer announced his resignation.

Burnham had been blocked by the party from standing in the Gorton and Denton by-election in February, a decision that angered many Labour MPs.

A troubled premiership

Starmer led Labour to a landslide victory in July 2024, winning 411 seats and ending 14 years of Conservative government.

But his time in office has been difficult. His approval ratings fell sharply, and Labour lost ground to Reform UK, the Greens and independents. The party lost its by-election in Gorton and Denton to the Greens in February, and suffered heavy losses in the local elections in May.

His government was also damaged by the row over the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the United States, which led to the resignation of his chief of staff.

Several junior ministers resigned in May and called on him to go, and the Defence Secretary, John Healey, resigned this month over defence spending.

A leadership election

Labour will now hold an election to choose a new leader, who will become Prime Minister. Starmer will remain in office until his successor is chosen.

Burnham is widely seen as the favourite. He served as a cabinet minister under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, stood for the Labour leadership in 2010 and 2015, and has been Mayor of Greater Manchester since 2017.

Reaction

Opposition parties are expected to call for a general election. The next one is not due until 2029.

The challenges

The next prime minister will face a difficult inheritance, including the economic effects of the war with Iran, pressure on public services and falling trust in politics.