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.
He said he was stepping down as leader of the governing Labour Party but will remain caretaker prime minister until a new Labour leader is chosen.
Andy Burnham, who won a special parliamentary election last week, is the front-runner to replace Starmer as Labour leader and prime minister.
Starmer won a landslide victory at a general election in 2024, but a series of missteps badly damaged his credibility.
In a post on X, Burnham thanked Starmer for his service and leadership.
He said Starmer’s decision to step down “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.”
“The country expects stability, seriousness and a continued focus on the issues that matter most and that is what it will get,” Burnham said.
He added: “People want to see progress on economic growth, cost of living, public services, housing and opportunities for the next generation. Political change should never distract from the responsibility to improve people’s lives.”
Wes Streeting, considered another leading contender, said he will back Burnham, making it more likely that Burnham could be selected without a leadership contest.
Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat leader, said Starmer’s replacement would have to change “our broken politics.”
“The British people are sick of being let down by an endless merry-go-round of prime ministers while nothing really changes for them,” he said. “This time must be different. It can’t just be about changing who’s in No. 10, it has to be about changing our broken politics so we can fix our country.”
Zack Polanski, who leads the Green Party, echoed calls for a “bold change of direction.”
Referring to Burnham, Polanski said: “The time for half measures and sticking plasters is long gone — if he becomes the next PM, Burnham must be bold or he will be bust.”
“The German government has always had in Keir Starmer a reliable and close partner in foreign policy questions, particularly regarding Ukraine,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s spokesperson, Stefan Kornelius, told reporters. He declined to comment on the “internal motives in Britain.”
Kornelius said the government believes a meeting that Merz plans to host in Berlin on Wednesday of the so-called “E5” — Germany, France, Britain, Italy and Poland — will go ahead as planned despite Starmer’s announcement. The meeting is part of preparations for the upcoming NATO summit.
Announcing his resignation outside 10 Downing Street, Starmer reflected on his time in office.
“Walking up this street two years ago was the proudest moment of my life. A new Labour government. The first in 14 years. A page in our country’s history turned after years of disappointment and despair. ... The chance to change the lives of millions of people for the better. That’s what I came into politics for. The journey to that point was not easy.”
“The question my party is asking now is whether I am best placed to lead us into the next general election. 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 I will resign as leader of the Labour Party. I have spoken to His Majesty the King this morning to inform him of my decision.”
“I will remain in post as Prime Minister until the contest is complete. And I will do everything I can to ensure an orderly handover of power.”
Starmer stood behind a lectern featuring a crest with a lion and a unicorn.
One is not native to the U.K. and the other is mythical, but both have appeared on the royal coat of arms since the 17th century. The lion, although never living in the wild in England, is the country's national animal. The unicorn, though fictional, is Scotland’s official animal.
The two became part of the crest when the crowns of England and Scotland were united in 1603 under King James I of England, who was already King James VI of Scotland.
When he was elected in 2024 in a landslide victory for Labour, Starmer pledged to steady the ship and end years of political turmoil under Conservative governments.
Starmer succeeded Rishi Sunak, who served from 2022 to 2024. Before Sunak, Liz Truss lasted only 45 days in office. Truss followed Boris Johnson (2019-2022), Theresa May (2016-2019) and David Cameron (2010-2016).
Starmer said nominations for the Labour leadership will open on July 9 and close when Parliament breaks for its summer recess on July 16. The contest will be open to Labour members of Parliament.
Burnham is the leading candidate to replace Starmer, though it remains unclear whether anyone will challenge him.
If there is no challenge, Burnham could become Labour leader and prime minister soon after nominations close. Even if there is a contest, Starmer said a successor would be selected by Sept. 1.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen praised Starmer’s legacy in a post on X.
“It can take many leaders years to grow into the statesman you became in just two years,” she wrote. “European and Ukrainian security is stronger because of you. Thank you, dear Keir.”
Starmer’s voice choked with emotion near the end of his brief statement.
As he began speaking, protesters nearby played the European Union anthem, Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy.”