Keir Starmer quits as UK PM, Labour chief amid mounting party pressure

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday announced he will resign as both prime minister and leader of the Labour Party, after months of mounting pressure over his leadership and growing unrest within his party.

In a resignation statement, Starmer said he had inherited a Labour Party that was “politically, financially and morally bankrupt” and had been told repeatedly that it was “finished”.

But he said he had proved critics wrong by rebuilding the party, “ripping out the poison of anti-Semitism” and restoring trust on the economy, defence and national security.

He said Labour was now asking whether he remained the right person to lead it into the next general election.

“I have heard the answer of my party to that question, and I accept that answer with good grace,” Starmer said.

“Every decision I have taken has been about putting the country I love first. I will resign as leader of the Labour Party.”

His departure plunges British politics into fresh uncertainty and leaves the country facing its sixth leader in seven years.

His decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as the UK’s ambassador to the United States had also drawn criticism, with opponents pointing to Mandelson’s past association with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The pressure intensified after former Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham won a by-election to return to parliament, fuelling speculation that a succession battle inside Labour was moving into the open.

Soon after Starmer’s announcement, Burnham effectively entered the race to succeed him, saying the resignation marked the start of a transition that must be handled in an “orderly and responsible way”.

“Keir has given huge service to our country and I want to thank him for his leadership and dedication during such a challenging period,” Burnham said in a post on X.

“His decision marks the beginning of a transition and it is important that this process is conducted in an orderly and responsible way. I will put myself forward as part of this process,” he said.

Burnham said the country expected “stability, seriousness and a continued focus on the issues that matter most”, and said political change should not distract from the responsibility to improve people’s lives.

“As we move forward, our priority must be to work together to get the country back to where we all want it to be. People want to see progress on economic growth, cost of living, public services, housing and opportunities for the next generation,” he said.

“The Labour movement has always been at its strongest when it looks forward with confidence and purpose. This is what we will do from here and we will make sure this transition is a positive process of renewal for our party and our country,” Burnham added.