The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, announced live outside his official residence at 10 Downing Street that he is resigning from his post.
“The question my party is asking is whether I am in the best position to lead us into the next election. I have heard the answer from my parliamentary colleagues and I accept it. Every decision I have made has been to put the country first - and therefore I am resigning," he said.
According to a report in the Telegraph, his departure is expected to pave the way for the appointment of Andy Burnham, former Mayor of Greater Manchester, as Britain’s seventh prime minister in just a decade, during which David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak, and Starmer himself have held office.
Starmer spent the last weekend at the Prime Minister’s country residence, Chequers, where he and his family considered the new political reality amid growing pressure from members of his party to step aside.
Starmer’s tenure has been in decline for months, less than two years after he won the general election and replaced Rishi Sunak.
The current Labour Party crisis follows a series of failures and scandals that have quickly eroded Starmer’s authority. More than 100 MPs called for his resignation following defeats in last month’s local elections.
On his social media account, former US President Donald Trump wrote: “He failed badly on two very important issues - immigration and energy. I wish him all the best!"