The Latest: UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer quits

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer gestures as he speaks with local residents as he visits a housing development in north London, Friday, June 19, 2026. (Peter Macdiarmid/Pool Photo via AP)

2026-06-22T08:32:27Z

LONDON (AP) — U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer resigned on Monday, paving the way for Britain to have its seventh prime minister in just over a decade.

Andy Burnham, who won a special parliamentary election last week, is the front-runner to replace Starmer as leader of the governing center-left Labour Party.

Starmer won a landslide victory at a general election in 2024, but a series of missteps badly damaged his credibility.

He’ll remain in the prime ministerial residence at 10 Downing Street until party members vote on a new leader in the next few weeks.

Here’s the latest:

The prime minister’s speech ends on an emotional note

Starmer’s voice choked with emotion near the end of the brief statement.

“The question my party is asking now is whether I am best placed to lead us into the next general election,” Starmer said. “I have heard the answer of my parliamentary party to that question, and I accept that answer with good grace.”

Starmer resigns

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says he is stepping down as leader of the governing Labour Party.

Starmer says he will remain caretaker prime minister until a new Labour leader is chosen in the next few weeks.

Starmer made the announcement after facing growing pressure to hand over to a new leader who can try and revive the government’s flagging fortunes. He has been in office since leading Labour to a landslide election victory in July 2024. In those two years his popularity and that of the party have plummeted.

As Starmer spoke, protesters sing

As Starmer began his speech, protesters nearby played the EU anthem, Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy.”

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Expectations of a resignation

Expectation is building that U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer will set out a timetable for his resignation, conceding to pressure from his Labour Party to hand over the reins of power.

If he does, 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. Burnham, until last week the Labour mayor of Greater Manchester, ran with the aim of challenging Starmer for leadership of the party and the country.

Burnham is due to be sworn in as a member of Parliament on Monday.