Pressure mounts on UK Prime Minister Starmer to resign
Growing calls for UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to step down, though he publicly insists he will stay. Media reports suggest he could announce his resignation as early as Monday.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing increasing pressure to resign, despite his public promises to remain in office. According to British media, including The Observer, Starmer could announce his intention to step down as early as Monday. Business Minister Peter Kyle told the BBC that Starmer is “taking time to consider the political realities, challenges and opportunities,” but stressed that resignation reports are speculation. Starmer, spending the weekend with his family at Chequers, has given no public indication of his decision.
If Starmer resigns, he would become the sixth UK prime minister to leave office in the last decade. Dissatisfaction with his leadership has grown over several months as Labour MPs desperately try to halt the government’s declining popularity. Starmer, who took office in 2024, has struggled to deliver promised economic growth, improve public services, and reduce the cost of living.
Labour is losing liberal voters to the rapidly growing Green Party and faces increasing competition from Nigel Farage’s right-wing Reform UK, which consistently leads in national opinion polls. In this week’s by-election in the Makerfield constituency of Greater Manchester, Labour candidate Andy Burnham won, positioning himself as a potential successor to Starmer as party leader and automatically as prime minister. In his victory speech, Burnham said “the country is not where it should be” and called the result a potential turning point.
It remains unclear whether Burnham would have an easy path to leadership if Starmer steps down. Wes Streeting, who resigned as health secretary last week, has announced he will run for Labour leader if a contest occurs. Starmer congratulated Burnham on Friday but insisted he would fight any attempt to oust him, stating he would stand in a leadership election if one is held. Lord Charles Falconer said Saturday that Starmer has “absolutely no authority left” and suggested a transition process where Burnham and Starmer cooperate to agree on a handover timeline.
