- By Ajeet Kumar
- Mon, 22 Jun 2026 02:22 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Keir Starmer Resignation News: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced his resignation after lot of wild specualtions in media. Starmer, while announcing his exit, said he will remain UK prime minister until successor chosen. "I have heard the answer of my parliamentary party to that question and I accept that answer with good grace," he said. "Every decision I have taken has been about putting the country I love first. That is why I will resign as leader of the Labour Party."
Starmer said he has accepted that Labour no longer believes he is the right person to lead the party into the next general election. The prime minister says he has listened to the verdict from within his party and accepts it “with good grace”.
Watch live: My statement. https://t.co/MX7ga3FRGq
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) June 22, 2026
What led to Starmer's exit?
The threat to Starmer has been building for months, but it increased sharply when Andy Burnham decisively won a parliamentary election to return to Westminster. Starmer's departure comes less than two years after he won a landslide election victory that promised to end Britain's chaotic politics.
Starmer says new leader will be in place by September
Under Britain's parliamentary system of government, whoever leads the party that has a majority in parliament is the country's prime minister. Starmer's Labour Party currently has a large majority.
The process to replace him as prime minister must therefore start with Labour replacing him as leader.
Starmer said he would ask Labour to set out a timetable for a leadership change, and nominations for candidates would open on July 9.
He said he will remain in his post until the contest was complete, and will do everything he can to ensure an orderly handover. Starmer said he expected the new leader and prime minister to be in place by the time parliament returns for its autumn session in September.
New leader may face the same old problems
Despite Starmer's attempt at a smooth handover, the change is not without risk. As of now, UK media reports claims Burnham is the clear frontrunner. Like Starmer, he could find he has little room to manoeuvre.
Britain already has the highest borrowing costs in the Group of Seven wealthy nations due to its high debt and interest payments, years of anaemic economic growth, its struggles to cut spending and the need to invest in areas like defence.
Britain already has the highest borrowing costs in the Group of Seven wealthy nations due to its high debt and interest payments, years of anemic economic growth, its struggles to cut spending and the need to invest in areas like defence.
(With inputs from Reuters)