UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced he was leaving his post at 10 Downing Street following a political crisis that began after the local election defeat. Making a statement in front of the Prime Minister's residence, Starmer thanked his colleagues and announced his resignation from the premiership and Labour Party leadership.
Starmer, who accepted that his tenure as UK Prime Minister had ended, used the phrase "My time is up".
In his statement, Starmer said: "I know the question being asked of us right now is not who is the best person to take the Labour Party into power and start the vital work of making millions of people's lives better. Those questions have already been answered. The question my party is asking now is whether I am the best person to lead us into the next general election.
Every decision I took was with the country I love at the forefront. That is why I am resigning as leader of the Labour Party. This morning, I met with King Charles III and informed him of my decision." Starmer stated that the new Labour Party leader and UK Prime Minister would be determined by September. Noting that the candidacy process would begin on July 9th, Starmer said, "I will remain in post until the contest is complete."
Calls for Starmer's resignation within the Labour Party had grown louder following the appointment of Jeffrey Epstein-linked Peter Mandelson as Ambassador to Washington, unfulfilled political promises, and finally the successive resignations of ministers.
US President Donald Trump posted about UK Prime Minister Starmer on his social media account.
In his post, Trump said: "Keir Starmer will resign as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He has had a major failure on two very important issues: immigration and energy policies. I wish him the best."
According to reports by The Guardian and The Times citing Labour Party sources, around 200 party members, including Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband, had demanded the Prime Minister step down in an orderly manner.
Miliband and Mahmood called on Starmer to leave his post and set a timetable for a new leadership election, while party sources indicated that other ministers could join them. The sources said Starmer would consult MPs and ministers today but emphasized the Prime Minister had no intention of giving up easily.
Sources stated that if Starmer did not resign over the weekend or set a timetable for a new leader, ministers could intervene at the Cabinet Meeting scheduled for next Tuesday, urging Starmer with the words "Leave before the inevitable end." The sources noted that after setting a timetable, Starmer should also not enter the leadership contest.
Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham's name had emerged as a potential new leader within the Labour Party. Burnham, who needed to be an MP to lead the party, had wanted to stand in the Gorton and Denton by-election in February, but Starmer blocked this candidacy.
Burnham gained the right to contest the Makerfield parliamentary by-election by decision of the Labour Party's National Executive Committee and won the election to enter Parliament. Previously, former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and former Health Secretary Wes Streeting had also called on Starmer to resign, with Streeting stating he would enter the leadership contest and Rayner expressing support for Burnham.
Keir Starmer, who became the UK's new Prime Minister after the Labour Party came to power following the July 4th general election, went down in history as the figure who ended 14 years of Conservative Party rule.
Replacing former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Starmer entered politics after a long career in law and quickly became one of the most influential figures in British politics. Born in London on September 2, 1962, Starmer studied law at Leeds University before completing a postgraduate degree at Oxford University.
Working for many years as a lawyer in human rights and criminal law, Starmer drew attention with his successes in his legal career. He served as head of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), the top prosecution authority for England and Wales, from 2008 to 2013. Knighted for his contributions to public service, Starmer emerged as one of the country's most recognized lawyers during this period.
Starmer entered the House of Commons after being elected MP for the Camden constituency in North London in 2015. Serving in Parliament since then, Starmer quickly became one of the Labour Party's leading figures.
After the historic defeat in the December 12, 2019 election and the resignation of then-leader Jeremy Corbyn, Starmer won the ensuing leadership contest and became the party's new leader in 2020. Securing 56.2% of the vote to lead the Labour Party, Starmer reshaped the party's goal of returning to power by pursuing a more centrist and pragmatic line within the party.
Keir Starmer was among politicians closely involved with European affairs. He served as Jeremy Corbyn's Brexit spokesperson from 2016 to 2020. An advocate for the UK remaining in the European Union, Starmer drew attention with his criticisms of the government during the Brexit process.
Calling on the government of the time to develop a more comprehensive exit strategy, Starmer occasionally raised the possibility of a second referendum. However, he adopted a more cautious approach in later years. In his election campaign as Labour leader, he emphasized that the UK would not rejoin the EU's single market or customs union.
Nevertheless, he argued that the Brexit deal signed during Boris Johnson's tenure needed improvement.
