Starmer resigns as Prime Minister
Desk report: Sir Keir Starmer has announced he will resign as Prime Minister.
In an emotional resignation statement from Downing Street on Monday, Sir Keir said he would bow to pressure from Labour MPs with “good grace” and trigger a leadership contest.
The election will take place this summer, allowing a new prime minister to be installed by Sept 1, he said.
Addressing the media in front of No 10, Sir Keir listed his achievements in office and in opposition, where he said he “changed our party” by tackling anti-Semitism and “restoring trust in the economy, defence, and national security”.
But he added: “I know the question being asked now is not: ‘Who was best placed to change the Labour Party to take us into power and to begin the vital work of improving lives for billions of people?’ Those questions have been answered. 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.”
Sir Keir’s statement was immediately followed by calls for a general election from Nigel Farage, who said it was “ridiculous to pretend that Andy Burnham has any kind of meaningful mandate to lead the country”.
The Prime Minister’s decision to trigger a leadership contest will come as a frustration for Andy Burnham, whose team had hoped he would be given a “coronation” as Labour leader without an election.
It will mean that other Labour MPs can run to replace Sir Keir if they can secure the backing of 80 MPs.
Mr Burnham remains the front-runner to replace the Prime Minister after his decisive victory in the Makerfield by-election last week. He is expected to travel to Westminster later on Monday, where he will hold a photocall with Labour MPs. He will also be sworn in as an MP in the Commons chamber.
Sir Keir said nominations would open on July 9 and close by July 17, the beginning of the parliamentary summer recess.
If more than one MP has secured enough nominations, the contest will then take place over the summer, concluding by the return of MPs to the Commons on Sept 1 before the Labour Party conference later that month.
Wes Streeting, who was previously expected to run, said on Monday he would instead back Mr Burnham.
Summer contest
Allies of Sir Keir had told The Telegraph he would fight any attempt to remove him from office, but after spending a weekend at Chequers, his countryside retreat, he decided to resign.
It is understood that a majority of Cabinet ministers told him that he should step down, setting out a timetable to be replaced by Mr Burnham.
Sir Keir’s resignation, less than two years after he led the party to a landslide victory in the 2024 general election, brings an end to a premiership marred by scandals, sackings and about-turns.
The tipping point came after Labour suffered its worst ever set of local election results in May, losing control of 38 councils and 1,498 seats across England.
His departure means Britain will see its seventh prime minister in a decade.
