U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer resigned on Monday, paving the way for Britain to have its seventh prime minister in just over a decade.
He said he was stepping down as leader of the governing Labour Party but would remain caretaker prime minister until a new head is chosen by the party.
Andy Burnham, who won a special parliamentary election last week, confirmed that he will run to succeed Starmer.
Starmer won a landslide victory in the 2024 general election, but a series of missteps badly damaged his credibility.
His resignation comes the day before Britain marks the 10th anniversary of its vote to leave the European Union, a decision that still roils the country’s economy and politics.
Here’s the latest:
Why is Andy Burnham the front-runner to succeed Starmer?
Because many people see him as the best person to defeat the anti-immigrant Reform Party at the next election, according to Olivia O’Sullivan, the director of the UK in the World Program at the Chatham House think tank.
Burnham’s greatest asset is that he appeals to Labour Party lawmakers who were frustrated by the way Starmer has governed, O’Sullivan said. The hope is that he will set out a “clearer vision” and connect with voters in parts of the country that are in danger of turning to the Reform Party, she said.
Burnham was elected to Parliament last week after decisively defeating a Reform candidate in a special election.
“He won a very strong majority in precisely the type of area, the type of constituency that the Labour Party is worried it’s losing,” O’Sullivan said. “So it may be that a lot of his appeal is centered in the fact that he seems to connect better with those voters and offer a clearer vision. But it’s absolutely correct that that is not the same thing as offering a radically different set of policies or even a particularly clear policy program.”
Ukrainian President thanks Starmer
“Keir, thank you for all our cooperation, your support, and the joint decisions that have helped make our Europe and our protection of life stronger,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on X.
“Here in Ukraine, we deeply value Britain, and every meeting and every conversation we have had has always been filled with real substance … I wish the United Kingdom and all British people every success as well as realisation of your national goals. We have confidence in Britain.
Keir, you are always a welcome guest in Ukraine.”
Reform UK leader calls for a general election
Nigel Farage, who leads the anti-immigration party, wrote on X that “Reform demands an election, and we are ready to deliver radical change.”
“If Labour thinks it can shove another professional politician into No 10, it has another thing coming,” he said.
Farage said Labour has betrayed voters’ trust, citing the Starmer government’s unpopular welfare and tax policies and illegal immigration as examples of the party’s failings.
Britain’s next national election doesn’t have to be held until 2029. British politics allows parties to change leaders midterm without the need for a general election.
EU Council president praises Starmer’s role in EU-UK relations
António Costa said on Monday that Starmer helped turn “a new page” in EU-UK relations ten years after Brexit.
“We turned a new page in EU-UK relations,” Costa said in a social media post. “The EU is committed to continued cooperation in this spirit.”
Starmer was seen as repairing relations with Brussels following Brexit and had helped schedule an EU-UK summit for July 22.
But on Monday, the European Commission said they were reassessing that plan.
Norwegian prime minister thanks Starmer for a ‘strong and close partnership’
“I respect the decision he has made,” Jonas Gahr Støre, a fellow center-left leader, said in a statement.
“The United Kingdom is Norway’s close ally in Europe, and over the past two years our countries have grown even closer through important agreements,” he said.
Støre added: “We have worked closely together to strengthen security cooperation in Europe and to support Ukraine.”
Burnham says the country expects ‘stability and seriousness’
In a post on X, Andy Burnham thanked Starmer for his service and leadership.
He said Starmer’s decision to step down “marks the beginning of a transition and it is important that this process is conducted in an orderly and responsible way. I will put myself forward as part of this process.”
“The country expects stability, seriousness and a continued focus on the issues that matter most and that is what it will get.”
He added: “People want to see progress on economic growth, cost of living, public services, housing and opportunities for the next generation. Political change should never distract from the responsibility to improve people’s lives.”
Andy Burnham will run to succeed Starmer
Former Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham confirms he will run to succeed Keir Starmer as Labour leader and prime minister.
Wes Streeting, considered another leading contender, said he will back Burnham. That makes it more likely that Burnham will be selected without a leadership contest.
Liberal Democrats say ‘merry-go-round of prime ministers’ needs to change
Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat Leader, said Starmer’s replacement would have to change “our broken politics.”
“The British people are sick of being let down by an endless merry-go-round of prime ministers while nothing really changes for them,” he said. “This time must be different. It can’t just be about changing who’s in No. 10, it has to be about changing our broken politics so we can fix our country.”
Zack Polanski, who leads the Green Party, echoed that the U.K. needs a “bold change of direction.”
Referring to former Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, who many expect to become the next Labour leader, Polanski said: “The time for half measures and sticking plasters is long gone — if he becomes the next PM, Burnham must be bold or he will be bust.”
German leader calls Starmer a reliable partner
“The German government has always had in Keir Starmer a reliable and close partner in foreign policy questions, particularly regarding Ukraine,” Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s spokesperson, Stefan Kornelius, told reporters. He declined to comment on the “internal motives in Britain.”
He said the government believes a meeting that Merz plans to host in Berlin Wednesday of the so-called “E5” — Germany, France, Britain, Italy and Poland — will go ahead as planned despite Starmer’s announcement. The meeting is meant as part of preparations for the upcoming NATO summit.
Some key quotes from Starmer’s resignation speech
“Walking up this street two years ago was the proudest moment of my life. A new Labour government. The first in 14 years. A page in our country’s history turned after years of disappointment and despair. … The chance to change the lives of millions of people for the better. That’s what I came into politics for. The journey to that point was not easy.”
“The question my party is asking now is whether I am best placed to lead us into the next general election. I have heard the answer of my parliamentary party to that question. And I accept that answer with good grace.”
“Every decision I’ve taken has been about putting the country I love first. That is why I will resign as leader of the Labour Party. I have spoken to His Majesty the King this morning to inform him of my decision.
“I will remain in post as Prime Minister until the contest is complete. And I will do everything I can to ensure an orderly handover of power.”
The curious sign of the lion and the unicorn
Starmer stood behind a lectern featuring a crest with a lion and a unicorn.
One is not a native of the U.K. and the other is mythical.
Both have shared the distinction of being part of the royal coat of arms since the 17th century.
The lion, although never living in the wild of England, is its national animal. The unicorn, though fictional, is Scotland’s official animal.
The two became part of the crest when the two crowns were united in 1603, when King James I ascended the throne in England; he was already King James VI in Scotland.
Starmer is the sixth prime minister in 10 turbulent years of UK politics
When he was elected in 2024 in a landslide victory for Labour, Starmer pledged to steady the ship and end years of political chaos under his successors, the Conservative Party.
Starmer had succeeded Rishi Sunak, who held the top job from 2022 to 2024.
Before Sunak, Liz Truss lasted only 45 days. Truss followed three other Conservative prime ministers: Boris Johnson (2019-2022), Theresa May (2016-2019), and David Cameron (2010-2016.)
Formal contest to replace Starmer will begin in early July and could end in days
Starmer said Monday that nominations will open on July 9 and close when Parliament breaks up for its summer recess, which is scheduled to begin July 16. The contest will be open to members of Parliament from the ruling Labour Party.
Former Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham is the leading candidate to replace Starmer. The question now is whether anyone will challenge him.
If there is no challenge, Burnham could become Labour leader and thus prime minister soon after nominations close. Even if there is a contest, Starmer said a successor would be selected by Sept. 1.
EU leader praises Starmer
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen praised Starmer’s legacy after news of his resignation in a post online on Monday.
“It can take many leaders years to grow into the statesman you became in just two years,” she said on X. “European and Ukrainian security is stronger because of you. Thank you, dear Keir.”
The prime minister’s speech ends on an emotional note
Starmer’s voice choked with emotion near the end of the brief statement.
“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.”
Starmer resigns
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says he is stepping down as leader of the governing Labour Party.
Starmer says he will remain caretaker prime minister until a new Labour leader is chosen in the next few weeks.
Starmer made the announcement after facing growing pressure to hand over to a new leader who can try and revive the government’s flagging fortunes. He has been in office since leading Labour to a landslide election victory in July 2024. In those two years, his popularity and that of the party have plummeted.
As Starmer spoke, protesters sing
As Starmer began his speech, protesters nearby played the EU anthem, Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy.”
Expectations of a resignation
Expectation is building that U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer will set out a timetable for his resignation, conceding to pressure from his Labour Party to hand over the reins of power.
If he does, Starmer will be the sixth prime minister in a decade to stand outside 10 Downing Street and announce a premature departure.
Starmer spent the weekend pondering his future following the victory of intraparty rival Andy Burnham in a special election for a seat in Parliament. Burnham, until last week the Labour mayor of Greater Manchester, ran with the aim of challenging Starmer for leadership of the party and the country.
Burnham is due to be sworn in as a member of Parliament on Monday.
[Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.]
