British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will resign
Monday, 22 June 2026
Sir Keir Starmer has announced his resignation as British Prime Minister.
Standing outside Number 10 Downing Street in London, the Labour leader revealed his decision after spending the weekend mulling his political future.
“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.
“Every decision I have taken has been about putting the country I love first.
“That is why I will resign as leader of the Labour Party.”
He will stay on in his role until the contest to confirm his successor is complete.
The politician, who has been Prime Minister for just under two years and steered his party to a landslide general election victory, became emotional as he talked about being a husband and a father.
He paid tribute to his wife Victoria and to his children.
“When I leave the biggest job in the country, I shall spend more time on the most important job,” Starmer said.
“Being the best husband I can to my fantastic wife Vic, who has been a rock by my side, through good times and bad. And being the best dad I can to my beautiful children, who are my pride and my joy.'
He hugged his wife Victoria after finishing his speech in front of a crowd of Downing Street staff.
The Prime Minister confirmed that he had spoken to King Charles about his decision to resign.
Starmer paid tribute to the “extraordinary civil service” who supported Government work and pledged to help with an orderly transfer of power to his successor.
Supporting his successor
He said he would give the next Prime Minister “my full and unequivocal support, knowing that they will inherit a Britain that is far stronger and fairer than the one I inherited two years ago, better prepared for the challenges ahead, and better able to ensure the Labour Party secures a second term in office.”
That process to decide his successor would begin on July 9 and finish by the parliamentary summer recess on July 16, ensuring “a new leader is in place before Parliament returns in September,” Starmer said.
“Six years ago I inherited a Labour Party that was politically, financially, and morally bankrupt,” Starmer said.
He described “ripping out the poison of anti-Semitism' within the Labour Party, as part of his work to turn around the party after becoming leader in 2020.
His party has faced harsh criticism over issues including the decision to make Peter Mandelson the UK ambassador to the United States, despite some knowledge of his previous links to Jeffrey Epstein.
Andy Burnham announces he will run for leader
Former Labour cabinet member and mayor of Manchester, Andy Burnham, who has been tipped to replace the PM, was due in Westminster shortly after Starmer’s resignation announcement, to be sworn in as the new MP for Makerfield. Burnham won the seat in a by-election last week.
Burnham formally announced his plan to run for the leadership around two hours after Starmer’s speech.
“Keir has given huge service to our country and I want to thank him for his leadership and dedication during such a challenging period,” Burnham said.
“His decision marks the beginning of a transition and it is important that this process is conducted in an orderly and responsible way.”
It is not known if Burnham would be the only candidate standing to be the new UK Prime Minister. If he ran unchallenged, he could become the new Labour leader once the contest had closed.
Following Burnham’s official statement about running for the leadership, former Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, announced he would not run against the new representative for Makerfield, despite previously saying he would stand as a candidate.
“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,” Streeting said.
“That is the choice that I am making and I hope that everyone else will back Andy, too.”
In all, more than 100 Labour MPs had called for Starmer to step down.
‘A very emotional moment’
Sky News presenter Sophie Ridge described Starmer’s tribute to his family as “a very emotional moment here on Downing Street.”
However, the gravity of the Prime Minister’s speech was hampered by loud classical music — Beethoven’s Ode to Joy — being played at high volume by a well known protester, Steve Bray, outside the Downing Street gates.
British journalist Lewis Goodall condemned the interruption — not the first during a serious political event.
“Steve Bray blasting Ode to Joy, ruining nationally historic moments like this for us and posterity, is a complete disgrace. A yob,” Goodall wrote on X/Twitter.
Times Radio presenter Andrew Neil was also disgusted by the musical distraction.
“The fact that we allow this to happen shows, that at times, we are not a serious country,” he said on air.
Trump leads social media commentary
Prior to Starmer’s announcement, US President Donald Trump had already commented on his predicted resignation.
“Keir Starmer will resign as Prime Minister of The United Kingdom. He failed badly on two very important subjects - IMMIGRATION AND ENERGY (OPEN NORTH SEA OIL!). I wish him well! President DJT”.
Writing on X/Twitter, British Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said people in Britain were “sick of being let down by an endless merry go round of prime ministers while nothing really changes”.
“This time must be different. It can’t just be about changing who’s in Number 10, it has to be about changing our broken politics so we can fix our country.”
Broadcaster Piers Morgan described Starmer’s speech as a “Sad end to a dismal tenure. Never seen such a big election win end in such abject failure so fast. Bottom line: he wanted power but didn’t know how to lead the country.”
Labour Member of Parliament Karl Turner was also scathing about the British Prime Minister’s record.
“Keir Starmer never really managed the PLP [Parliamentary Labour Party]. He outsourced it. The politics. The relationships. The difficult conversations. He left others to do the heavy lifting while he played the role of chief executive.”
Former Labour leader and current Secretary of State for Energy, Security and Net Zero in the UK, Ed Miliband, defended the Prime Minister’s record with a post on X/Twitter.
“Keir Starmer can be immensely proud of his achievements in bringing Labour back to power and leading two years in Government to make Britain a fairer, stronger country. Today’s statement showed the great dignity and integrity that is the mark of the man.”
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage immediately called for a general election following the Prime Minister’s announcement.
“If Labour thinks it can shove another professional politician into No 10, it has another thing coming” he wrote on X/Twitter.
British Green Party leader Zack Polanski also posted on the social media site following the announcement, stating that “a bold change of direction” was needed in the UK.