Here's the latest
• Starmer set to step down: Keir Starmer has announced he will resign amid mounting pressure from his own lawmakers, paving the way for a seventh British prime minister in a decade.
• Potential successor: Andy Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester, looks likely to replace Starmer within weeks. Another potential challenger, former health minister Wes Streeting, today backed Burnham and ruled himself out.
• Political upheaval: Starmer’s announcement comes just two years after his center-left Labour party swept into power with a landslide majority – and almost 10 years to the day since Britain voted to leave the European Union, plunging the country into a decade worth of political instability.
The UK has worked closely with Europe under Starmer's leadership
In his resignation speech a short while ago, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer listed some of his achievements as leader of the United Kingdom over the last two years, and touted “rebuilding our relationship with our allies in Europe” as one of them.
Shortly afterward, Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, responded on X to Starmer, writing that “European and Ukrainian security is stronger because of you.”
Almost exactly a decade ago, the UK voted to leave the European Union by a razor-thin margin. Starmer spent the last two years trying to rebuild his country’s relationship with the bloc.
Last May, the UK and EU formed a “Security and Defence Partnership,” to enhance their “co-operation on the major shared challenges to European security,” including Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Britain and France have worked especially closely on international issues under Starmer’s leadership, with the two countries agreeing earlier this year to deploy forces in Ukraine to guarantee post-war security should a peace deal be struck with Russia.
Paris and London, alongside Germany, make up the E3 alliance, an informal group of countries who have also worked together on several geopolitical issues over the past years.
Last year, the three countries banded together to draft a counter-proposal to the United States’ draft 28-point Ukraine peace plan, and they have also issued joint statements on the conflict in the Middle East.
Figures from across Europe, including Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and former Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, responded on X to Starmer’s resignation.
Trump and Starmer were unlikely friends. Until they weren't.
President Donald Trump did not wait for Keir Starmer to announce his resignation as UK prime minister Monday to offer some half-hearted well wishes.
“Keir Starmer will resign as Prime Minister of The United Kingdom,” Trump wrote on social media Sunday, almost 24 hours before Starmer made the decision official. He added: “I wish him well!”
The early heave-ho from Britain’s most important ally was a tidy illustration of where the “special relationship” stands in the era of Trump.
Few leaders have worked to cultivate Trump with as much enthusiasm as Starmer and for a while, it seemed to work. Starmer’s hand-delivered invitation from King Charles III for a state visit last year seemed to genuinely stun the president in the Oval Office. The two men were quick to strike a new trade agreement amid Trump’s tariff threats, though it left some more difficult issues unresolved.
An enduring image of the men’s relationship may have come at the G7 summit last year in Canada, when a pile of papers related to the trade deal slipped out of Trump’s hands and Starmer rushed to collect them.
For all of his efforts to become Europe’s Trump whisperer, however, Starmer eventually found himself where so many leaders have before: unable to fulfill Trump’s demands, and the subject of scorn.
Trump mocked Starmer mercilessly when the UK declined to join in the war against Iran, deriding him as “not Winston Churchill.” He compared Britain’s Navy to “toys” and questioned whether the “special relationship” was still quite as special.
Starmer, wary of being dragging into an unpopular American war, rejected Trump’s pressure, at one point declaring himself “fed up” with Trump’s taunts. One columnist called it his “Love Actually” moment, a reference to the fictional prime minister played by Hugh Grant publicly defying his American counterpart.
But it apparently did little to endear Starmer to the public or to Trump. The two men did not meet one-on-one at last week’s G7 summit.
Britain's turbulent politics visualized through its lecterns
Six prime ministers have stood outside London’s Downing Street in the space of a decade.
Their custom podiums have changed, but their script has stayed the same: “I’m resigning.”
Here’s who has occupied the Prime Minister’s residence since 2016.
- David Cameron, Conservative — 2010-2016: Won two elections, but resigned after losing the Brexit referendum which he called mostly to appease rebels in his own party.
- Theresa May, Conservative — 2016-2019: Appointed because she was seen as a safe pair of hands that could deliver Brexit, but was undermined by constant infighting over the issue. Called an election to strengthen her hand, but ended up losing the majority she had. Resigned after more internal disagreements.
- Boris Johnson, Conservative — 2019-2022: Replaced May and managed to win a large majority in the 2019 general election, but was brought down by a series of scandals and more infighting.
- Liz Truss, Conservative — 2022: Was brought in to calm the waters after the turbulent Johnson years – but only made the situation worse by rattling the markets with completely unrealistic budget plans. Was forced to resign after only 50 days, becoming the shortest-serving UK prime minister ever. (Her premiership was famously outlasted by a lettuce.)
- Rishi Sunak, Conservative — 2022-2024: Replaced Truss to lead the party to the next election, which he lost, thus becoming the only one on this list to leave office because voters, rather than his own party, removed him.
- Keir Starmer, Labour — 2024-2026: Won big in the 2024 general election, promising stability after the chaos under the Conservatives. Less than two years into the mandate, he announced he will be stepping down.
Andy Burnham looks set to be next PM after a key potential challenger backs him instead
Andy Burnham has announced he will stand in the Labour Party’s leadership contest, as one of his would-be opponents for the job quickly said in a letter following Keir Starmer’s resignation that he would back him.
Writing on social media, Burnham thanked Starmer for his leadership and said: “His decision marks the beginning of a transition and it is important that this process is conducted in an orderly and responsible way. I will put myself forward as part of this process.”
As the odds-on favorite – and with key potential challenger Wes Streeting, the former health secretary, ruling himself out of the race – the former Manchester mayor and Makerfield MP is widely seen as the frontrunner to become the country’s next prime minister.
“Andy has shown what Labour can be when we are inclusive, united, and in touch with the lives of the people this Party was founded to represent,” Streeting wrote in a letter posted to X.
Pointing to a platform of economic growth, public service modernization, energy security, and democratic values, Streeting said of Burnham: “I’m convinced that there is a place for those ideas under his leadership.”
Starmer’s resignation comes at a time of fragmentation in British politics
Keir Starmer has announced his resignation at a time when the British political landscape is fracturing as support for the two parties that dominated it for the last century is waning.
The center-left Labour and center-right Conservative parties have long been the main parties in British politics, though other smaller parties like the centrist Liberal Democrats have played significant roles too.
However, the combined Labour-Tory vote share has decreased significantly in recent years, as voters flock towards the populist left Green Party and the populist hard-right Reform in a sign of their dissatisfaction with the mainstream and the current political instability in Britain. National opinion polls now show a near-five way split with each party competing for roughly 20% of the electorate.
Britain operates under a first-past-the post system – meaning that the candidate with the most votes wins the seat no matter the distribution of votes. That system is more used to dealing with competition between two or three major parties, and has not been tested at a general election with five competitive parties.
When will the next British prime minister take over from Starmer?
As we’ve just reported, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced he will resign.
Attention now turns to whether the Labour Party will hold a competitive leadership contest, or if it stages a political “coronation” of its preferred successor.
In his resignation speech, Starmer said that he will ask his party to set out a timetable for the leadership process, with nominations opening on July 9 until Parliament breaks for summer, a week later.
“In the case of a contest, this will ensure a new leader is in place before parliament returns in September,” Starmer said, adding that he will remain as the prime minister “until the contest is complete.”
All eyes are on Andy Burnham, whose recent victory in the Makerfield by-election has placed him in a position to seek the Labour leadership and potentially emerge as the party’s natural heir. However, no decision has been made and other senior Labour figures could still enter the race.
A prolonged leadership contest could risk instability for the government particularly if the party remains behind in the polls. Whether the transition becomes a genuine contest or de facto coronation will depend on how much support coalesces around Burnham.
Correction: This post has been updated to clarify when Parliament goes on summer recess
Starmer's relationship with Trump was strained by Iran war
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at first appeared to have struck up a productive relationship with US President Donald Trump following the latter’s re-election.
Starmer was once nicknamed the “Trump whisperer” on account of his apparent ability to keep the president on-side, and a meeting between the pair resulted in an “unprecedented” invitation to the US president from Britain’s King Charles III for for a second state visit.
Starmer and Trump last saw each other at last week’s G7 summit in France, and haven’t spoken to each other since, although Trump weighed in on his future yesterday.
It was at the beginning of the US and Israel’s war with Iran, when their relationship first started to fray, after Trump expressed his discontent with Starmer for not allowing the US to use British bases to launch attacks.
The US leader blasted the UK as “very, very uncooperative,” and said that “this is not Winston Churchill that we’re dealing with” in reference to Starmer.
For his part, Starmer has defended his decision not to join the war, saying he was not prepared to join a conflict “without a plan to get us out.”
In mid-March, Starmer said he had “stood by my principles” and believed that “time will show that we have the right approach.”
“Whether to commit British troops to military action is the most serious responsibility for any prime minister,” Starmer said. “I have been attacked by some for my decision not to join the offensive against Iran.”
Starmer was likely referring to Nigel Farage, the leader of the hard-right Reform UK party and an ally of Trump. Farage has today called for a general election in the UK, following Starmer’s resignation.
In April, Starmer said that his “position on the Iran war has been clear from the start. We’re not going to get dragged into this war.”
CNN’s Christian Edwards contributed to this reporting.
Trump ally Nigel Farage demands election after Starmer resignation
Trump ally Nigel Farage, who leads the hard-right party Reform UK, has “demanded an election” after Keir Starmer announced his resignation.
“If Labour thinks it can shove another professional politician into No 10, it has another thing coming,” Farage wrote in a social media post.
Under British law, the governing Labour Party does not have to hold a general election until 2029, five years after the last one. Governments can choose to hold one sooner if they so wish, though Labour has given no indication it intends to do that.
In recent British political history, it is not uncommon for prime ministers to come to power in between general election cycles, though sometimes they do choose to hold elections shortly after they assume the premiership.
Reform currently leads national opinion polls, even though it currently only has eight MPs in parliament, so it is in Farage’s interest to call for an election. Nonetheless, it remains unclear whether they can translate this lead into a viable election strategy that could be successful in the UK’s first-past-the-post system. In the recent Makerfield by-election, Andy Burnham resoundingly defeated Reform, albeit in very specific conditions.
Starmer inherited a broken economy, but has failed to fix it quickly enough
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer swept to power almost two years ago on a ticket to revive Britain’s ailing economy and restore the fortunes of households whose living standards had deteriorated.
“Change begins now,” he declared following the Labour Party’s resounding general election victory in July 2024. But meaningful change has yet to be delivered — and the Labour Party has paid dearly for the delay, suffering heavy losses in May’s local elections and leaving Starmer fighting for his political future.
On one measure that matters a great deal to voters, salaries have barely kept pace with rises in consumer prices, meaning people don’t feel substantively better off. Since the Labour Party took office, average weekly pay, after adjusting for inflation, has inched up less than 1% to £494 ($651), official figures show.
Starmer’s government has fallen short in other areas too. It is unlikely to reach its target to build 1.5 million more homes to address a chronic shortage and economic growth, although somewhat improved, has remained lacklustre at a little above 1%.
Soaring energy costs because of the Iran war are expected to further weigh on output: the International Monetary Fund expects the UK economy to expand by just 0.8% this year, according to a forecast made in April, half a percentage point less than a January estimate.
Catch up on what Starmer said in his resignation statement
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has just announced that he will be stepping down as leader of the United Kingdom.
The announcement came after intense pressure from lawmakers within Starmer’s own governing Labour party for him to resign after months of political turmoil.
Here’s what he said earlier on the steps on 10 Downing Street, London:
- After listing some of his achievements as prime minister, including building a “stronger” economy and cutting the waiting times for Britain’s National Health Service (NHS), Starmer said that he was stepping down as leader of the Labour party as it questioned whether he was “best placed to lead us into the next general election.”
- Starmer said that he had spoken to King Charles this morning to inform the monarch of his decision to step down.
- A new leader of the Labour party, and therefore the UK, will be in place by September, Starmer said, adding that he will remain in post until this time. “I will do everything I can to ensure an orderly handover of power,” he said. “I will also give my successor my full and unequivocal support.”
- Starmer thanked his friends and colleagues for “their incredible commitment, service and support” over the past six years. He got emotional when sharing that he will now focus on being “the best husband I can” to his wife, who he called “a rock by my side,” as well as “the best dad I can to my beautiful children, who are my pride and my joy.”
Who is Andy Burnham, Britain’s likely next prime minister?
Former Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham appears poised to succeed Keir Starmer, after the UK’s prime minister announced his resignation earlier today — though a transition of power has not been officially announced.
He is expected in Westminster, London, to be sworn in as member of the UK’s parliament later today.
Burnham won a by-election, the equivalent of a US special election, in Makerfield, northwest England just days ago, finally allowing him to challenge Starmer for leadership of the governing Labour Party, and the country. Previously, he had not been able to since he was not a sitting Member of Parliament (MP.)
And the resounding manner of Burnham’s win – comprehensively defeating Reform weeks after Labour was routed in local elections – gives him considerable momentum too, strengthening the argument of his allies that only he can stem the party’s electoral decline in a way that the unpopular Starmer cannot.
Over the past few years, Burnham has quietly become one of the most popular politicians in the country. After serving as an MP for 16 years – during which time he rose to health minister and twice ran unsuccessfully for the Labour leadership – he left Westminister to take up the new role of Manchester mayor.
An affable, instinctive communicator, his popularity has persisted even as his party remains in turmoil, and he’s crafted a narrative it lacks even if the national policy positions he’s staked out during this campaign broadly align with the current government.
You can read more about Burnham, including what he stands for, in our profile of him here.
UK’s Labour Party keen for political transition to go as “smoothly” as possible
The UK will now enter into a delicate period of political transition, following Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s decision to resign from the country’s top role, says CNN’s Clare Sebastian, reporting live from outside Downing Street today.
Starmer’s announcement will now kickstart a process to select his successor which aims to wrap up by the time the UK parliament returns from its summer recess in September.
Calls for Starmer to resign came from within the ranks of his own party and the party will want this transition to go as “smoothly and politely as possible,” Sebastian says.
“No one wants to enter into any kind of mud slinging within the Labour Party. They really want to hang on to this opportunity that they’ve got as best they can.”
Under Keir Starmer’s leadership, the Labour party came into power in July 2024, after 14 years of governance by the center-right Conservative party, largely defined by austerity measures and economic strain.
Why the EU anthem was played during Starmer's resignation
As British Prime Minister Keir Starmer resigned from his post on Monday morning, outside Downing Street the sound of “Ode to Joy” – the European Union anthem adapted from Beethoven’s 9th symphony – blared in the background.
The music, played by pro-European protesters, served as an unmistakable reminder of the issue that has defined British politics for the past decade: Brexit.
Starmer’s resignation comes 10 years after the Brexit referendum, which marked the start of the UK’s divorce from the EU.
The referendum was sold as a chance to settle Britain’s relationship with Europe and restore political stability. Instead it has been followed by years of division, leadership crisis and constant upheaval.
And today, nearly a decade on, the UK is preparing for yet another prime minister.
Where has it gone wrong for Starmer?
Despite winning a landslide election in 2024, the British public soured on Prime Minister Keir Starmer almost as soon as he took office.
Attacked from the right over his perceived failure to control illegal immigration, from the left over unpopular economic policies – and by many across the political spectrum over his lack of charisma and political vision – Starmer’s position had been deteriorating for months.
Last month’s local election results – which saw Labour lose more than 1,400 seats across English councils and control of the Welsh parliament, where it had been the largest party for decades – further eroded Starmer’s authority, appearing to convince dozens of Labour lawmakers that he is not capable of winning the next general election, due by the summer of 2029.
Meanwhile, Burnham returned to parliament by convincingly winning a by-election on Thursday against the hard-right populist party Reform UK, who currently lead most national opinion polls.
That created a stark contrast between the two men, and offered electoral weight to Burnham’s argument that he is better placed than Starmer to defeat Reform in a general election.
Starmer tears up while thanking wife during statement
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer became emotional towards the end of his speech as he thanked his wife, Lady Victoria Starmer for “being a rock by my side in good times and bad.”
“When I leave the biggest job in the country, I shall spend more time on the most important job, being the best husband I can to my fantastic wife Vic,” he said, his voice breaking.
“And being the best dad I can to my beautiful children who are my pride and joy.”
Starmer announces resignation plans
Keir Starmer announced Monday he is stepping down as Britain’s prime minister, yielding to intense pressure from his own lawmakers and setting the country on the path for a sixth leader in seven years.
“The question my party is asking now is whether I am best placed to lead us into the next general election,” he said.
He continued, “I have heard the answer of my parliamentary party to that question, and I accept that answer with good grace. Every decision I’ve taken has been about putting the country I love first. That is why will resign as leader of the Labour Party. I have spoken to His Majesty the King this morning to inform him of my decision.”
Starmer expected to make statement shortly
Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to make an announcement from Downing Street shortly, amid widespread speculation about his future.
A podium, and its accompanying microphones, have been set up in preparation for such a statement. Meanwhile, Downing Street staff are lining the street outside.
Starmer widely expected to announce plans for resignation today
Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to announce a timetable for his resignation later today, leaving the country facing its sixth leader in seven years and further political instability.
Much of the nation’s press corps are currently gathered outside the doors of 10 Downing Street in London — the prime minister’s residence — waiting for any sign of an imminent press conference.
Starmer’s grip on power has been tenuous for months — weakened by u-turns, disastrous local election results and his decision to appoint the Jeffrey Epstein-associated Peter Mandelson as the UK’s ambassador to the US.
But his position now seems untenable, days after former Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham won a by-election to return to parliament.
Trump said Starmer "will resign," before UK leader said he was stepping down
US President Donald Trump weighed in on the future of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer yesterday, claiming that he “will resign,” amid widespread speculation the UK leader could set out a timeline for his departure.
“Keir Starmer will resign as Prime Minister of The United Kingdom,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social, although it remains unclear if the US president knows something definitively or if he is just jumping in on the commentary.
Britain’s PA Media reported that Trump has not spoken to Starmer since the leaders saw each other at the G7 summit in France earlier this week.
In his social media post, Trump criticized Starmer, the leader of the UK’s centre-left Labour Party, saying ineffective policymaking would be behind his political demise.
“He failed badly on two very important subjects – IMMIGRATION AND ENERGY,” Trump wrote, adding, “(OPEN NORTH SEA OIL!).”
Trump has repeatedly urged the British government to reverse its freeze on issuing new oil and gas exploration licenses in the North Sea, and he has criticized the UK’s wind farms.
Though he was once nicknamed the “Trump whisperer” on account of his apparent ability to keep the president on-side, Starmer has recently been subject to a deluge of scolding from his American counterpart regarding the war in Iran.
