According to numerous British media reports, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer may announce his intention to resign on 22 June. As The Observer reports, citing sources, Starmer is facing increasing pressure from the Labour Party leadership, including members of his own cabinet. A growing number of MPs are backing Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham as the next Labour leader and future Prime Minister.
Neither Starmer nor the Prime Minister’s Office has officially confirmed that a resignation will be announced on Monday. However, these reports were indirectly confirmed by one of the ministers, who told the British media that they had been discussing “political realities” with the Prime Minister in recent days.
That said, according to media reports, Starmer is unlikely to step down as early as 22 June. He is expected to remain Prime Minister for the coming weeks, during which time his successor will be chosen. It is unclear whether there will be a leadership election involving several candidates, or whether Burnham will receive sufficient support to be immediately declared Starmer’s successor.
On 18 June, Andy Burnham secured a convincing victory in the House of Commons by-election in a constituency that had been vacated specifically for him by a Labour MP who had resigned his seat. Despite the popularity of Nigel Farage’s populist Reform Party in this constituency, Burnham won by a large margin, which, according to his supporters, indicates that, at national level too, Labour under his leadership will be able to successfully stand up to the Reform Party, which is leading in the polls. On Monday, Burnham will be sworn in as a Member of the House of Commons, which will formally pave the way for him to become Prime Minister. He himself has not yet officially declared his intention to run for the post.
Andy Burnham positions himself as a more left-wing politician than Starmer, and according to the polls, he is significantly more popular than the current Prime Minister.
Under Starmer’s leadership, Labour secured a convincing election victory two years ago. However, their popularity has plummeted against a backdrop of economic problems, rising tensions over illegal migration, and the scandal surrounding the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the US, who turned out to be a friend of the convicted criminal Jeffrey Epstein.