Keir Starmer announced on Monday his resignation as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and as leader of the Labour Party, after just two years in office and internal pressure that became unsustainable.
The Labour leader appeared without questions at number 10 Downing Street to confirm a departure that British media had been anticipating since Friday.
Before addressing the journalists stationed since dawn outside the official residence, he communicated his decision to King Charles III, who was at his estate in Highgrove, Gloucestershire.
"The question my party is now asking is whether I am the most suitable person to lead us into the upcoming general elections. I have heard the response from my parliamentary group to that question, and I gladly accept it," Starmer stated, his voice measured.
He will remain in the position on an interim basis until the Labour Party designates a new leader, a process expected to conclude in early September 2026.
Starmer came to power in July 2024 with a landslide victory: 411 seats and 9.7 million votes, ending 14 years of Conservative rule. However, the wear and tear was swift and profound.
The accumulation of scandals undermined his credibility from the very beginning. The most serious was the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the United States, which triggered a crisis when it was revealed that Mandelson had lied about his relationship with the convicted financier Jeffrey Epstein during his confirmation process, and that their friendship was "deep" and continued even after Epstein's conviction in 2008. Mandelson's refusal to hand over his personal phone for the investigation exacerbated the scandal.
This was compounded by the acceptance of luxury gifts and free concert tickets by Starmer and several ministers, cuts to fuel subsidies for pensioners, the increase in inheritance tax on agricultural properties —which sparked massive protests across the country— and the failed attempt to limit subsidies for families with a third child, which the Government had to retract.
On May 7, the Labour Party suffered a setback in the local elections in England, Scotland, and Wales, losing nearly 1,500 councilors to the rise of the right-wing populist party Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage. Starmer's popularity collapsed to 19% according to YouGov.
The definitive blow came on June 18, when Andy Burnham won the Makerfield by-election with 54.8% of the votes, which returned a seat for him in the House of Commons and enabled him to formally challenge the leadership. More than 70 Labour MPs had already called for Starmer's resignation.
The former mayor of Greater Manchester took office as a Member of Parliament this Monday at around 2:30 PM local time and is the frontrunner to succeed Starmer as head of the government.
Wes Streeting, who resigned as Secretary of Health last month stating that continuing would be "dishonorable," has also announced that he will run in the internal contest if one takes place.
Even the President of the United States, Donald Trump, predicted the day before on his social media that Starmer "is going to resign," attributing his fall to failures in immigration and energy, in an unusual gesture from a foreign leader.
At the end of his statement, Starmer affirmed that he will dedicate his time to "trying to be the best husband possible" for his wife Victoria and "the best father" for his children.
The embrace with her in front of door number 10 was the crowning moment of his words.
Starmer becomes the seventh British Prime Minister in a single decade, and his resignation comes on the eve of the tenth anniversary of the Brexit referendum, June 23, 2016, a date that bitterly ironically marks the end of his term.
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