KUALA LUMPUR – British Prime Minister and Labour leader Keir Starmer has announced that he will step down from both roles, following growing pressure within his party over his leadership ahead of the next general election.
Speaking after weeks of internal debate, Starmer said the central question facing Labour was whether he remained the right person to lead the party into the next electoral contest.
He added that he had now “heard the answer” from his party and “accepts that answer with good grace”.
“I will resign as leader of the Labour Party,” he said, as quoted by the BBC.
Starmer insisted that all his decisions in office had been guided by what he described as placing national interest above all else. He also pointed to his record in government and party reform.
Before confirming his resignation, he said he had inherited a Labour Party that was “politically, financially and morally bankrupt”.
He added that he had repeatedly been told the party was “finished”, but said he had “proved those people wrong”.
He also highlighted internal reforms, stating that he had changed the party by “ripping out the poison of anti-Semitism”.
“Restoring trust on the economy, defence and national security,” he added.
The announcement comes after rising political pressure within Labour, following the decisive parliamentary election victory of former Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, which strengthened calls from some MPs and ministers for a change in leadership.
Andy Burnham’s win in a north-west England constituency has been widely viewed as a catalyst for renewed scrutiny of Starmer’s position, with multiple lawmakers reportedly urging him to set out a clear exit timeline.
According to earlier reporting by Reuters, Starmer had been weighing his political future over the weekend, with sources suggesting he could have chosen either to step aside or contest a leadership challenge.
One source said he had been in discussions with his family and close advisers, adding: “Keir likes to think about things.”
The pressure has been compounded by international commentary, including remarks from Donald Trump on his Truth Social platform, where he predicted that “Keir Starmer will resign as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom” and criticised his performance on immigration and energy policy.
Starmer’s leadership has also faced scrutiny following Labour’s poor performance in local elections in May, with internal polling suggesting Burnham would be well placed to win a formal leadership contest if it were held.
Should Burnham succeed him, it would mark the seventh change in UK prime minister in the past decade, underscoring continued political volatility at Westminster. – June 22, 2026