U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing a career-defining decision: step down or fight a possible challenge from Labour Party rival Andy Burnham.
Starmer has publicly vowed to remain in office, but pressure is constructing as an increasing number of Labour Party colleagues conclude that his time is up. Expectation is growing that he’ll announce a timetable for his resignation as soon as Monday. That’s the day Burnham will likely be sworn in as a lawmaker within the House of Commons after winning a special election last week.
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.”
“I do know he’s a major minister who at all times puts his country first,” Kyle told the BBC, though he said that reports that Starmer will resign are “speculation.”
Starmer is spending the weekend at Chequers, the country mansion utilized by prime ministers, together with his family. He gave no public hint about his decision, but sent a Father’s Day message on social media.
“Being a dad is my best joy. Today, I’m serious about my dad, and the daddy I’m to my children due to him,” he wrote on X.
U.S. President Donald Trump weighed in even before an announcement, linking Starmer’s potential exit to 2 of his recurring bugbears: immigration and renewable energy.
“Keir Starmer will resign as Prime Minister of The UK. He failed badly on two very necessary subjects- IMMIGRATION AND ENERGY (OPEN NORTH SEA OIL!). I wish him well! President DJT,” Trump posted on his Truth Social network.
It was unclear whether Trump was responding to media reports about Starmer’s plans. The 2 leaders haven’t spoken over the weekend.
Starmer’s initially warm relationship with the president has soured in recent months over issues including the Iran war, which the U.K. didn’t join.
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If Starmer quits, he will likely be the sixth prime minister to depart office up to now 10 years, a rare rate of churn for the UK.
Discontent with the prime minister has been constructing for months, with Labour lawmakers eager to reverse the federal government’s decline in popularity since Starmer led the center-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 price of living, and has been hamstrung by repeated missteps, including his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson, a scandal-tarnished friend of Jeffrey Epstein, because the U.K. ambassador to the US.
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.
Burnham, until this week the favored mayor of Greater Manchester, decisively won the seat of Makerfield in northwestern England in a special election held Thursday. He took almost 55% of the 45,510 votes solid, over 9,000 greater than the Reform UK runner-up.
Now that Burnham is becoming a lawmaker, he’s ready to challenge Starmer for leadership of the Labour Party. Burnham’s acceptance speech left little doubt that he wants to steer each the party and the country.
“Everyone knows that politics isn’t working,” he said. “Everyone can feel that the country isn’t where it must be. Tonight could, just could, be the turning point.”
It’s unclear whether Burnham would face a coronation or a challenge, if Starmer steps aside. Wes Streeting, who resigned as health secretary last month to protest Starmer’s leadership, has said that he’ll run in a contest if there may be one.
Starmer congratulated Burnham on Friday, but insisted that he would fight any try and oust him.
“I’ll run, I’ll stand,” if there may be a Labour leadership contest, Starmer said. “I’ve said repeatedly I’m not going to walk away from that.”
But Charlie Falconer, a senior Labour member of the House of Lords, said Saturday that Starmer has “absolutely no authority” left.
“There must be an agreed transition process by which Andy and Keir cooperate as to when the handover should happen,” he told the BBC.
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