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Starmer under pressure
Donald Trump said on his Truth Social network on Sunday that “Keir Starmer will resign as Prime Minister of The United Kingdom,” as the United Kingdom faced a deepening leadership crisis even before Starmer made any official announcement about his future.
The Whistler Newspaper said Trump cited Starmer’s “IMMIGRATION AND ENERGY (OPEN NORTH SEA OIL!),” while broadcaster Piers Morgan said the development was “the final humiliation.”
Business Secretary Peter Kyle said Starmer was “making time to reflect on the political realities, challenges and opportunities” facing him, as more than 95 Labour MPs had, by mid-May, called on Starmer to resign or set out a timetable for his departure.
The Whistler Newspaper also said that in June the crisis deepened after disputes over defence spending led to three resignations from the Ministry of Defence, including Defence Secretary John Healey, and that Starmer’s net approval rating had fallen to an average of negative 46 per cent by November 2025.
France 24 reported that media reports suggested Starmer could resign within days, and said the speculation followed Andy Burnham’s decisive by-election victory that strengthened expectations of a leadership challenge.
Burnham victory fuels revolt
Andy Burnham’s Makerfield by-election win on Friday intensified pressure on Starmer, with France 24 saying Burnham warned in his victory speech that it had a “final chance to change.”
France 24 added that Burnham has made clear he intends to bid to lead the slumping centre-left party, while Starmer insisted he would fight any attempt to oust him.
India Today said Starmer told reporters on Saturday, “I was elected with a considerable mandate to serve the country at a general election two years ago,” and added that “There isn't a leadership contest at the moment.”
India Today also reported that Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle said on Sunday that Starmer was “making time to reflect on the political realities, challenges and opportunities that he finds himself in.”
The same India Today account said speculation about Starmer’s future grew after reports of dissent within his own Cabinet, with some suggesting he could leave 10 Downing Street as early as next week.
What happens next
Multiple outlets framed the coming days around whether Starmer would set a timetable for departure, with The Observer described by France 24 as headlining that Starmer was “expected to resign” the following day.
France 24 said Starmer was holding weekend talks from Chequers, the countryside retreat for prime ministers, and noted that Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper was among senior ministers telling her boss to stand down.
Crypto Briefing reported that the likelihood of Keir Starmer leaving office before July surged to 89% according to Kalshi market participants, and said odds for departure by June 30, 2026 climbed to 91.5% from 52% just 24 hours prior.
Crypto Briefing said the market moves reflected growing speculation amid mounting pressures within the Labour Party, including disputes over defense spending and resignations from the Ministry of Defence such as Defence Secretary John Healey.
Al-Jazeera Net said Reuters earlier cited a government source saying Starmer “still focuses on his duties,” while it also described scenarios ranging from immediate resignation to an orderly transitional phase as Britain prepared for the possibility of its seventh prime minister in about a decade.
