LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer conceded Monday that he had lost the support of his rank and file Labour party members in Parliament and that he will be stepping down as soon as his successor as party leader is chosen, possibly as soon as the middle of July.
Andy Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester whose resounding victory in a special U.K. election last week set in motion Starmer's resignation, has confirmed that he will put himself forward to be his successor.
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Andy Burnham, Britain's Labour candidate for Makerfield, gestures in front of supporters during the by-election in Makerfield, England, Thursday, June 18, 2026 where voters are choosing a new lawmaker with Andy Burnham of the Labour Party as the leading contender.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
FILE - Andy Burnham smiles during a campaign visit to Ashton-in-Makerfield before the forthcoming by-election, in Manchester, England, Tuesday, June 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Super, file)
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer hugs his wife Victoria outside 10 Downing Street after speaking to the media in London, Monday, June 22, 2026.(AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer announces his resignation to the media outside 10 Downing Street in London, Monday, June 22, 2026(AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer announces his resignation to the media outside 10 Downing Street in London, Monday, June 22, 2026(AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Burnham is seen as the front-runner to replace Starmer, especially as his victory Thursday in the seat of Makerfield in northwest England was so decisive, showing that he could appeal to voters across the political spectrum.
Despite Labour’s dismal poll ratings and substantial losses in local elections in May, Burnham defied electoral gravity. He was able to see off the challenge of the candidate from anti-immigration Reform UK as well as mop up votes from other left-leaning political parties. He substantially increased Labour's share of the vote to nearly 55%, which, if repeated on a similar scale across the country in the next general election, would no doubt see the party remain in power.
Though Starmer did not mention Burnham by name in his resignation statement outside the prime minister’s residence at 10 Downing Street, he conceded “with good grace” that he wasn’t best-placed to lead Labour into that election.
The next national election doesn’t have to be held until 2029, but British politics allows parties to change leader midterm without the need for a general election.
Here’s how events could unfold over the coming weeks:
Burnham, 56, arrives in London on Monday and will be sworn in as a member of Parliament after nearly a decade away, during which time he was the popular mayor of Greater Manchester.
Shortly after Starmer's statement, Burnham said he will run for Labour leader.
He said Starmer’s decision to step down “marks the beginning of a transition and it is important that this process is conducted in an orderly and responsible way.”
“The country expects stability, seriousness and a continued focus on the issues that matter most and that is what it will get,” Burnham said.
Starmer said he would stay in post as prime minister until his successor is in place and that Labour’s national executive committee will open nominations on July 9.
Should Burnham be the only candidate then he could be confirmed as party leader a week or so later. However, if there is a contest, then the election would likely drag on into September.
Burnham has won the support of Wes Streeting, who quit as health secretary last month and had previously indicated he would throw his hat in the ring. Streeting said he would back Burnham for the Labour leadership, saying “he can win the fight of our lives against the forces of nationalism,” a reference to the anti-immigration Reform UK party, led by Nigel Farage, that has overtaken Labour in the opinion polls since the July 2024 general election.
“We could spend the summer exaggerating small differences, or we can roll up our sleeves and help him to deliver the change our party and our country needs,” he said.
Other potential candidates have yet to comment on Starmer's announcement. They include Starmer’s former deputy, Angela Rayner who resigned last September over an unpaid property tax, and Al Carns, who resigned last week as the armed forces minister over Starmer’s funding plans for national defense.
There are many in Labour’s ranks who say it would be best if no one stood against Burnham so he could enter 10 Downing Street this summer before the party conference. Burnham was tight-lipped on whether he'd prefer a coronation rather than a contest when heading for his train south to London from Manchester.
To join the contest, candidates must win the support of a fifth, or 81, of the party’s House of Commons lawmakers.
Those candidates who reach that threshold of support would then have to receive the backing of 5% of local constituency parties, or at least three party affiliates — groups such as trade unions and cooperative societies.
Eligible members of the party and affiliates would then vote for the leader using an electoral system that ranks the candidates. The winner is the first candidate to secure more than 50% of the vote.
King Charles III would then invite the winner to become prime minister and form a government.
Andy Burnham, Britain's Labour candidate for Makerfield, gestures in front of supporters during the by-election in Makerfield, England, Thursday, June 18, 2026 where voters are choosing a new lawmaker with Andy Burnham of the Labour Party as the leading contender.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
FILE - Andy Burnham smiles during a campaign visit to Ashton-in-Makerfield before the forthcoming by-election, in Manchester, England, Tuesday, June 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Super, file)
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer hugs his wife Victoria outside 10 Downing Street after speaking to the media in London, Monday, June 22, 2026.(AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer announces his resignation to the media outside 10 Downing Street in London, Monday, June 22, 2026(AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer announces his resignation to the media outside 10 Downing Street in London, Monday, June 22, 2026(AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer resigned on Monday, paving the way for Britain to have its seventh prime minister in just over a decade.
He said he was stepping down as leader of the governing Labour Party but would remain caretaker prime minister until a new head is chosen by the party.
Andy Burnham, who won a special parliamentary election last week, confirmed that he will run to succeed Starmer.
Starmer won a landslide victory in the 2024 general election, but a series of missteps badly damaged his credibility.
His resignation comes the day before Britain marks the 10th anniversary of its vote to leave the European Union, a decision that still roils the country’s economy and politics.
Here's the latest:
“Keir, thank you for all our cooperation, your support, and the joint decisions that have helped make our Europe and our protection of life stronger," Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on X.
"Here in Ukraine, we deeply value Britain, and every meeting and every conversation we have had has always been filled with real substance ... I wish the United Kingdom and all British people every success as well as realisation of your national goals. We have confidence in Britain.
Keir, you are always a welcome guest in Ukraine.”
Nigel Farage, who leads the anti-immigration party, wrote on X that “Reform demands an election, and we are ready to deliver radical change.”
“If Labour thinks it can shove another professional politician into No 10, it has another thing coming,” he said.
Farage said Labour has betrayed voters’ trust, citing the Starmer government’s unpopular welfare and tax policies and illegal immigration as examples of the party’s failings.
Britain’s next national election doesn’t have to be held until 2029. British politics allows parties to change leaders midterm without the need for a general election.
António Costa said on Monday that Starmer helped turn “a new page” in EU-UK relations ten years after Brexit.
“We turned a new page in EU-UK relations,” Costa said in a social media post. “The EU is committed to continued cooperation in this spirit.”
Starmer was seen as repairing relations with Brussels following Brexit and had helped schedule an EU-UK summit for July 22.
But on Monday, the European Commission said they were reassessing that plan.
“I respect the decision he has made,” Jonas Gahr Støre, a fellow center-left leader, said in a statement.
“The United Kingdom is Norway’s close ally in Europe, and over the past two years our countries have grown even closer through important agreements," he said.
Støre added: “We have worked closely together to strengthen security cooperation in Europe and to support Ukraine.”
In a post on X, Andy Burnham thanked Starmer for his service and leadership.
He said Starmer’s decision to step down “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.”
“The country expects stability, seriousness and a continued focus on the issues that matter most and that is what it will get.”
He added: “People want to see progress on economic growth, cost of living, public services, housing and opportunities for the next generation. Political change should never distract from the responsibility to improve people’s lives.”
Former Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham confirms he will run to succeed Keir Starmer as Labour leader and prime minister.
Wes Streeting, considered another leading contender, said he will back Burnham. That makes it more likely that Burnham will be selected without a leadership contest.
Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat Leader, said Starmer’s replacement would have to change “our broken politics.”
“The British people are sick of being let down by an endless merry-go-round of prime ministers while nothing really changes for them,” he said. “This time must be different. It can’t just be about changing who’s in No. 10, it has to be about changing our broken politics so we can fix our country.”
Zack Polanski, who leads the Green Party, echoed that the U.K. needs a “bold change of direction.”
Referring to former Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, who many expect to become the next Labour leader, Polanski said: “The time for half measures and sticking plasters is long gone — if he becomes the next PM, Burnham must be bold or he will be bust.”
“The German government has always had in Keir Starmer a reliable and close partner in foreign policy questions, particularly regarding Ukraine,” Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s spokesperson, Stefan Kornelius, told reporters. He declined to comment on the “internal motives in Britain.”
He said the government believes a meeting that Merz plans to host in Berlin Wednesday of the so-called “E5” — Germany, France, Britain, Italy and Poland — will go ahead as planned despite Starmer’s announcement. The meeting is meant as part of preparations for the upcoming NATO summit.
"Walking up this street two years ago was the proudest moment of my life. A new Labour government. The first in 14 years. 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."
“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.
“I will remain in post as Prime Minister until the contest is complete. And I will do everything I can to ensure an orderly handover of power.”
Starmer stood behind a lectern featuring a crest with a lion and a unicorn.
One is not a native of the U.K. and the other is mythical.
Both have shared the distinction of being part of the royal coat of arms since the 17th century.
The lion, although never living in the wild of England, is its national animal. The unicorn, though fictional, is Scotland’s official animal.
The two became part of the crest when the two crowns were united in 1603, when King James I ascended the throne in England; he was already King James VI in Scotland.
When he was elected in 2024 in a landslide victory for Labour, Starmer pledged to steady the ship and end years of political chaos under his successors, the Conservative Party.
Starmer had succeeded Rishi Sunak, who held the top job from 2022 to 2024.
Before Sunak, Liz Truss lasted only 45 days. Truss followed three other Conservative prime ministers: Boris Johnson (2019-2022), Theresa May (2016-2019), and David Cameron (2010-2016.)
Starmer said Monday that nominations will open on July 9 and close when Parliament breaks up for its summer recess, which is scheduled to begin July 16. The contest will be open to members of Parliament from the ruling Labour Party.
Former Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham is the leading candidate to replace Starmer. The question now is whether anyone will challenge him.
If there is no challenge, Burnham could become Labour leader and thus prime minister soon after nominations close. Even if there is a contest, Starmer said a successor would be selected by Sept. 1.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen praised Starmer’s legacy after news of his resignation in a post online on Monday.
“It can take many leaders years to grow into the statesman you became in just two years,” she said on X. “European and Ukrainian security is stronger because of you. Thank you, dear Keir.”
Starmer’s voice choked with emotion near the end of the brief statement.
“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.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says he is stepping down as leader of the governing Labour Party.
Starmer says he will remain caretaker prime minister until a new Labour leader is chosen in the next few weeks.
Starmer made the announcement after facing growing pressure to hand over to a new leader who can try and revive the government’s flagging fortunes. He has been in office since leading Labour to a landslide election victory in July 2024. In those two years, his popularity and that of the party have plummeted.
As Starmer began his speech, protesters nearby played the EU anthem, Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy.”
Expectation is building that U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer will set out a timetable for his resignation, conceding to pressure from his Labour Party to hand over the reins of power.
If he does, Starmer will be the sixth prime minister in a decade to stand outside 10 Downing Street and announce a premature departure.
Starmer spent the weekend pondering his future following the victory of intraparty rival Andy Burnham in a special election for a seat in Parliament. Burnham, until last week the Labour mayor of Greater Manchester, ran with the aim of challenging Starmer for leadership of the party and the country.
Burnham is due to be sworn in as a member of Parliament on Monday.
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer hugs his wife Victoria after he announced his resignation outside 10 Downing Street in London, Monday, June 22, 2026.AP Photo/Thomas Krych)
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer and wife Victoria stand in front of 10 Downing Street door after after announcing his resignation in London, Monday, June 22, 2026.(AP Photo/Thomas Krych)
FILE - Labour party's Andy Burnham speaks after winning the Makerfield by-election, paving the way for a leadership challenge against Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. in Wigan, England, Friday, June 19, 2026.(AP Photo/Jon Super, file)
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer and wife Victoria step out to speak to the media outside 10 Downing Street in London, Monday, June 22, 2026.(AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Larry the cat, Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office waits on the doorstep of 10 Downing Street in London, Monday, June 22, 2026 as expectations are growing that Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer will announce his resignation soon.(AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Britain's Labour Party leadership candidate Wes Streeting speaks in central London, Tuesday June 16, 2026. (Gareth Fuller/PA via AP)
Labour party's Andy Burnham speaks after winning the Makerfield by-election, paving the way for a leadership challenge against Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. in Wigan, England, Friday, June 19, 2026.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer gestures as he speaks with local residents as he visits a housing development in north London, Friday, June 19, 2026. (Peter Macdiarmid/Pool Photo via AP)
