Starmer likely to announce exit timetable as rival Burnham heads to U.K. Parliament
Expectation is building that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will set out a timetable for his resignation as soon as Monday (June 22, 2026), conceding
Expectation is building that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will set out a timetable for his resignation as soon as Monday (June 22, 2026), conceding to pressure from his Labour Party to hand over the reins of power. If he does, Mr. Starmer will be the sixth Prime Minister in a decade to stand outside 10 Downing Street and announce a premature departure. Starmer spent the weekend pondering his future following the victory of intraparty rival Andy Burnham in a special election for a seat in Parliament. Mr. Burnham, until last week the Labour mayor of Greater Manchester, ran with the aim of challenging Mr. Starmer for leadership of the party and the country. Burnham is due to be sworn in as a Member of Parliament on Monday (June 22, 2026). Starmer's office declined to comment on resignation reports, but Business Secretary Peter Kyle said Sunday that Starmer is “making time to reflect on the political realities, challenges and opportunities that he finds himself in”.
It's unclear whether Mr. Burnham would face a coronation or a challenge, if Starmer steps aside. Wes Streeting, who resigned as health secretary last month to protest Mr. Starmer's leadership, has said that he will run in a contest if there is one. Discontent with the Prime Minister has been building for months, with Labour lawmakers desperate to reverse the government's decline in popularity since Starmer led the centre-left party to a landslide election victory in July 2024. He has struggled to deliver promised economic growth, repair tattered public services and ease the cost of living, and has been hamstrung by repeated missteps, including his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson, a scandal-tarnished friend of Jeffrey Epstein, as the UK ambassador to the United States. Labour is losing liberal voters to the growing Green Party and facing a rising Reform UK, the Nigel Farage -led anti-immigration party that consistently leads in nationwide opinion polls.
U.S. President Donald Trump weighed in even before an announcement, linking Mr. Starmer's potential exit to two of his recurring bugbears: immigration and renewable energy. “Keir Starmer will resign as Prime Minister of The United Kingdom. He failed badly on two very important subjects- IMMIGRATION AND ENERGY (OPEN NORTH SEA OIL!). I wish him well! President DJT,” Trump posted on his social media platform. It was unclear whether Mr. Trump was responding to media reports about Starmer's plans. The two leaders didn't speak over the weekend. Starmer's initially warm relationship with the President has soured in recent months over issues including the Iran war, which the UK didn't join. In contrast to missteps on the domestic front, Mr. Starmer has won praise for his international role, notably in rallying European support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia's invasion, and working to mitigate the economic and political turmoil unleashed by the Iran conflict.
The BriefWire