Keir Starmer resigns as Prime Minister and Labour Party leader

Sir Keir Starmer announced on Monday 22 June 2026 that he will resign as prime minister and as leader of the Labour Party, saying it is “clear that my party wants me to go”. He added that every decision he has taken has been “about putting the country I love first” and that he will remain in post “until the contest is complete”. Starmer also promised “good grace” and “full and unequivocal support” for whoever succeeds him.

The announcement was made outside 10 Downing Street, with the prime minister’s office confirming that a successor is expected before parliament reconvenes in September. The timing makes Britain set to have its seventh prime minister in a decade, a turnover rate the nation has not seen since the early 19th century.

Media additions

Reactions from across the United Kingdom

In Belfast, Sinn Féin vice‑president and Northern Ireland first minister Michelle O’Neill said Starmer’s departure “really underlines for all of us the chaos of Westminster” and warned that “our interests are never the top of the agenda in Westminster”.

“Which is why I think we need now to seriously engage everybody in the conversation around constitutional change and the right to decide our future here at home,”

Michelle O’Neill, vice‑president, Sinn Féin, via BBC

Democratic Unionist Party leader Gavin Robinson acknowledged Starmer’s service but said the government “do not have a recipe for success”. He urged the next prime minister “to work for the strivers” and “rebalance our economy”.

“From a political perspective you will know that I don’t agree with what the Labour government has done over the last number of years, that they do not have a recipe for success in our country,”

Gavin Robinson, DUP leader, via BBC

Alliance Party leader Naomi Long thanked Starmer for his “life of public service” but warned that his resignation could usher “another period of instability I think we could well do without”. She stressed the need for a “speedy” resolution that restores “some semblance of stability in Westminster”.

“My main concern is that this gets resolved quickly and speedily, that we get some semblance of stability in Westminster and that we are able to make progress on the issues that really matter to the people we represent,”

Naomi Long, Alliance Party leader, via BBC

Ulster Unionist leader Jon Burrows said the resignation was “not a shock to anybody”, adding that Starmer “might have had an overwhelming majority but his performance was dismal as opposed to just underwhelming”. He also claimed the prime minister “consistently … took the wrong side” on issues ranging from the legacy of the Troubles to taxation.

Social Democratic and Labour Party leader Claire Hanna noted that Starmer had been “more interested” and “more engaged and respectful of the island of Ireland” than many of his predecessors, but criticised his failure to “communicate and connect with his electorate”.

Andy Burnham emerges as the favourite

Andy Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester, has positioned himself as the clear frontrunner. After winning the Makerfield by‑election – a contest that saw him defeat a Reform UK candidate – Burnham is now eligible to stand for Labour leader. His victory “paved the way for his return to the Westminster parliament”, according to a Guardian analysis.

Burnham’s record as mayor earned him the nickname “the king in the north”. Supporters cite the region’s economic boom and his “Manchesterism” vision of devolving decision‑making power to cities. He has also signalled backing for the immigration reforms introduced by Starmer’s government, a stance that differentiates him from some soft‑left colleagues.

In a post on X, Burnham thanked Starmer and said, “I will put myself forward as part of this process”. He added that the country “expects stability, seriousness and a continued focus on the issues that matter most and that is what it will get”.

“People want to see progress on economic growth, cost of living, public services, housing and opportunities for the next generation,”

Andy Burnham, via X

The Labour National Executive Committee has been asked to set a timetable. Starmer said he will ask the NEC to open nominations on 9 July. If more than one candidate reaches the threshold, a hustings period will run until 16 July, the last day before the summer recess. Should Burnham remain unchallenged, he is expected to be declared leader on 17 or 18 July and would then receive a call from King Charles III to form a government.

The Guardian notes that the next general election must be called by August 2029, but the new leader will inherit a political map where Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, has “consistently topped opinion polls” and has “routed Labour and the Conservatives in municipal elections”.

Economic backdrop and policy challenges

Bond markets reacted calmly to Starmer’s announcement, with the pound and government bonds remaining steady. Investors cited the “expected nature of the transition” as a factor, though some, such as economists at Citibank, warned that a Burnham premiership would inherit a “precarious fiscal situation with few tools to deliver meaningful change”.

Key dates to watch

• 9 July 2026 – Nominations open for Labour leadership candidates.
• 16 July 2026 – Deadline for hustings and any internal contests before the summer recess.
• 17‑18 July 2026 – Expected date for confirmation of the new Labour leader, should there be no contest.
• 1 September 2026 – Parliament reconvenes; the new prime minister is expected to be installed.