Keir Starmer Resigns as Leader of the Labour Party and Remains in Office in a Caretaker Capacity

Starmer had recently been battling historically poor polling numbers. The Labour Party had already suffered heavy losses in the May local elections, from which the right-wing populist Reform UK party of Nigel Farage benefited in particular. In polls, Labour had been trailing Reform UK by a significant margin for months, as the party increasingly rallies the British electorate behind it.

The pressure on Starmer had been growing for months. Several influential cabinet members had stepped down in recent weeks, publicly expressing their displeasure with the prime minister's leadership style. A number of the government's legislative initiatives also failed due to resistance from its own parliamentary group. Many Labour MPs fear losing to Reform UK at the next regular election, which is scheduled for 2029.

Pressure from Within the Ranks

Starmer had come to power in the summer of 2024 with a landslide victory. The social-democratic Labour Party ended 14 years of Conservative rule at the time and won a clear majority in the House of Commons. Less than two years later, the party now faces another change of leadership.

In his emotional speech in front of 10 Downing Street, Starmer referred to the 2024 election result and stressed that he had always put the country first: "Bei jeder Entscheidung, die ich getroffen habe, ging es darum, das Land, das ich liebe, an die erste Stelle zu setzen." He had spoken with King Charles that morning, Starmer said in front of his official residence. After the address, he embraced his wife Victoria, who had stepped outside with him.

The prime minister announced that he would task Labour's National Executive Committee (NEC) with setting a timetable for the succession. He would remain in office as a transitional prime minister until a new party leader was chosen. Observers see the move as an admission that the pressure within the party could no longer be averted.

Chequers and the Change of Course

According to reports, Starmer had reversed his decision during a stay at the Chequers country estate over the past weekend. Sources from the party described that he had originally considered a different course, but then yielded to the pressure from influential Labour MPs. In the days before, several cabinet members had announced their resignations, including Wes Streeting, who had served as health secretary until recently and is now also considered a contender for the party leadership.

The frontrunner for the succession is, according to British media assessments, Andy Burnham. The 56-year-old has long been a member of the Labour Party and served for nine years as mayor of the Greater Manchester region. He is known to the British public as the "King of the North" – a reference to the series "Game of Thrones." Burnham had already been considered an internal party rival of Starmer. Back in February 2025, the Labour leadership had thwarted an attempt by Burnham to return to Westminster.

Andy Burnham: King of the North

On Friday, Burnham finally won a by-election in the Makerfield constituency in north-west England, thereby entering the House of Commons. His opponent was a Reform UK candidate, whom Burnham defeated convincingly, according to the Reuters news agency. With the seat, Burnham now has the formal basis to run for the party leadership.

According to reports, Burnham would have forced Starmer into a formal leadership debate had Starmer not announced his withdrawal himself. Burnham will be sworn in as a member of parliament in Westminster on Monday afternoon. He is travelling specially from Makerfield in north-west England to the Thames to officially take up his seat.

In addition to Burnham, Wes Streeting is also being discussed as a possible successor. The former health secretary, who resigned last month, is considered a prominent figure in the Labour parliamentary group. He is expected to line up behind Burnham and, in return, can count on a cabinet post.

Should Burnham actually become prime minister, he would be the seventh British head of government within a decade. The rapid succession of changes in office underscores the political instability in the United Kingdom, which had already become visible in the wake of the Brexit referendum ten years ago. Observers also assume that the next regular House of Commons election, scheduled for 2029, could be brought forward significantly.

Wes Streeting as a Further Contender

In addition to the losses in the polls and the internal party tensions, Starmer was also weighed down by the affair surrounding Peter Mandelson, the former chief strategist of the Labour Party. Mandelson had been appointed by Starmer as ambassador to the United States, but became embroiled in the Jeffrey Epstein affair. According to the article, Starmer continued to shield Mandelson and kept incriminating files under lock and key, which further weakened his position.

Starmer had hitherto been regarded as a moderate, pro-European Labour politician who had steered the party's course toward a pragmatic centre. However, with his cuts to the welfare state – for example, to heating cost subsidies – he had alienated parts of his own core electorate. As a result, he lost further support among the population as well as within his own party.

The Damaging Mandelson Affair

The news agencies dpa, Reuters, and AFP reported in unison that the resignation was the result of a weeks-long crisis of confidence. 22 June 2026 thus marks a turning point for British domestic politics, whose further development now depends on the question of how quickly the Labour Party can find new leadership and whether the election will actually be brought forward.

With the announced withdrawal, a term of office that had begun with great hopes comes to an end. The 2024 election victory had been Labour's first change of government since 2010. The fact that the prime minister is already drawing the consequences after less than two years illustrates the explosive force of the current crisis and the speed with which the political mood in Great Britain has shifted.

A bombshell in London – that is how the day can be summed up from the perspective of British observers. The coming weeks will show whether the party can carry out the changeover in an orderly manner or whether the power struggle over the succession will continue to shape the picture.