Keir Starmer Resigns as Labour Leader, Paving Way for Andy Burnham

Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Monday that he would resign as leader of the governing Labour Party, bowing to a mutiny inside Labour and paving the way for Andy Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester, to likely become the country’s next leader.

“UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announces resignation with 'good grace' Starmer, who was elected in 2024, spoke on Monday from Downing Street”

ABC News

Starmer said he would remain as prime minister until a new party leader is selected by September, after asking Labour to open nominations on July 9 and complete them by the summer recess on 16 July.

ABC News

The resignation clears the path for Britain’s seventh prime minister in a decade, extending a period of political turmoil after the country voted to leave the European Union in 2016.

Burnham, who won a special election last week in the Makerfield by-election, confirmed on social media that he would formally seek to replace Starmer and was expected to be sworn in as a member of Parliament on Monday.

The BBC said Starmer told Labour’s governing body to set out a timetable for the leadership contest, and he said he would “do everything” he could to ensure an “orderly” transition of power.

As Starmer’s resignation triggered a leadership transition, António Costa, the president of the European Council, said in a news conference on Monday that a summit between the United Kingdom and the European Union scheduled for July 22 would need to be postponed.

Costa said, “Now for sure we need to postpone it,” and added that his wish was that Starmer’s successor could give continuity on a “good path to reset our relationship with the United Kingdom.”

BBC

Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, thanked Starmer in a Monday post on X, writing, “European and Ukrainian security is stronger because of you.”

The BBC reported that Burnham’s chances got an immediate boost when former Health Secretary Wes Streeting offered his backing, and Streeting said, “We could spend the summer exaggerating our small differences, or we can roll up our sleeves and help [Burnham] to deliver the change our Party and our country needs.”

In London, Starmer’s resignation speech came outside 10 Downing Street, where he told the BBC he had asked Labour’s governing body to set out a timetable and said he would give his successor “my full and unequivocal support”.

With Starmer stepping down, the BBC said Burnham was sworn in as an MP and that he was expected to give a speech next week pledging to grow the economy if he becomes PM while also sticking to the government’s fiscal rules.

CNBC reported that markets were holding steady after Starmer’s announcement, while the pound was slightly lower and the yield on 10-year U.K. government bonds, known as gilts, was flat early Monday at 4.8452%.

CNBC also quoted chief economist Kallum Pickering saying the market would “price in what a Burnham premiership looks like,” and it noted that Starmer had opened the U.K. to the world by signing new trade deals and delivering 1.5% real GDP growth.

The BBC said Burnham told reporters at Euston station, “You’re jumping several hurdles ahead. My priority is to be sworn in as the MP for Makerfield,” as he faced heckles from the opposition including an MP shouting, “He’s not the messiah.”

In a separate reaction, Kemi Badenoch launched a scathing attack on Starmer and Labour, urging the next prime minister to take up the job quickly and writing on X, “Keir Starmer is off on a farewell tour and Andy Burnham wants a summer holiday.”