UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announces resignation

Darwin, 22 June : British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has announced his resignation, stepping down as both Prime Minister and leader of the Labour Party.

He made the announcement on Monday at 10 Downing Street in London, according to a BBC report.

In an emotional speech, Starmer said, “Every decision I have made has been to prioritise my country that I love. That is why I will step down as leader of the Labour Party.”

He added that he will remain as caretaker Prime Minister until a new Labour leader is elected in the coming weeks.

The announcement comes amid growing pressure to hand over power to a new leader who could revive the government’s declining fortunes.

Before announcing his resignation, Starmer said he inherited a Labour Party that was “politically, financially and emotionally bankrupt.”

He said he had been told repeatedly that the party was “finished,” but claimed he had “proved those people wrong.”

He also said he had “rooted out the poison of antisemitism” and transformed the party.

Starmer has been in power since Labour won a landslide victory in July 2024. However, his and the party’s popularity has sharply declined over the past two years.

His resignation reportedly follows the victory of Andy Burnham in a special election last week. The popular former Greater Manchester mayor was expected to challenge Starmer for the Labour leadership.

Despite leading Labour to a large parliamentary majority in 2024, Starmer became increasingly unpopular due to a series of scandals and policy U-turns, leading many voters to doubt his ability to deliver on promises to improve living standards.

According to Reuters, more than 100 Labour MPs—around a quarter of the party’s representation in the House of Commons—had publicly called for him to resign or set a timeline for his departure.