Starmer Announces Resignation; Burnham Wins Key Endorsement

Prime Minister Keir Starmer stepped down as leader of the governing Labour Party. Andy Burnham, the party’s most popular politician, said he would seek the prime minister’s job and secured the support of a potential rival. Latest Pinned Updated June 22, 2026, 1:11 p.m. ET Reporting from London Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain announced his resignation on Monday, bowing to a mutiny inside his Labour Party and paving the way for Andy Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester, to likely become the country’s next leader. Mr. Starmer said that he would remain as prime minister until a new party leader is selected, by September, rather than fight to remain in the job he won almost two years ago. His decision means that Britain will have its seventh prime minister in a decade, extending a period of political turmoil for the country since it voted to leave the European Union in 2016. “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,” Mr. Starmer said in front of No. 10 Downing Street, his voice breaking with emotion as he thanked his wife for being “a rock by my side.” Mr. Burnham is a popular Labour politician whose resounding victory last week in a special election energized his bid to become prime minister. He said on social media on Monday that he would formally seek to replace Mr. Starmer, calling the transition “a positive process of renewal for our party and our country.” Moments later, Mr. Burnham received the endorsement of Wes Streeting, a former health secretary and another potential challenger in Labour’s leadership race — meaning the party will most likely avoid a bruising and divisive contest. “We could spend the summer exaggerating small differences, or we can roll up our sleeves and help him to deliver the change our party and our country needs,” Mr. Streeting wrote in a statement, referring to Mr. Burnham. Mr. Starmer became prime minister in 2024 when Labour won a large parliamentary majority and ended 14 years of Conservative Party government. But Labour earned a record-low vote share in that election, prompting one analyst to call the victory a “loveless landslide.” Mr. Starmer’s standing was damaged this year by revelations about his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the United States despite his ties to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. But it was Labour’s devastating losses in local elections in May that were the breaking point for many in the party. Here’s what else we are covering: Parliament: Mr. Burnham arrived in Parliament around 2:30 p.m. local time, smiling broadly, and was formally sworn in to office as the member of Parliament from Makerfield, an electoral district in northwestern England. Timeline: Mr. Starmer said he wanted formal nominations to replace him to open on July 9. A new Labour leader would then be elected by September and become prime minister. If Mr. Burnham is the only candidate, he could take over as early as July. Economy: Markets were holding steady after Mr. Starmer’s announcement. The pound was slightly lower, but off earlier lows. Not much is known about Mr. Burnham’s economic policies or how they would affect Britain’s bond market. Legacy: In his remarks, Mr. Starmer defended his record, citing investment in health care, increased military spending and falling immigration. But he struggled with a sagging economy and criticism that he often backtracked on policies. Advertisement SKIP ADVERTISEMENT June 22, 2026, 10:18 a.m. ET Reporting from London After weeks of speculation about Keir Starmer’s fate as Britain’s prime minister, when the moment of his resignation arrived, on Monday, the reaction in financial markets was relatively calm. Traders appeared placated by the slight easing of political uncertainty as Mr. Starmer laid out a timeline to leave Downing Street by the end of summer. The pound recovered from earlier losses against the U.S. dollar and was trading slightly stronger. Britain’s government bonds, which had been underperforming against their European peers, fell back in line. The yield on 10-year bonds, known as gilts, dropped slightly. The position of the next leader of the Labour Party, and therefore, prime minister, could still be contested. But the expectation is that Andy Burnham, most recently the mayor of Greater Manchester, will take up the role. Still, there is plenty of uncertainty, especially about Mr. Burnham’s economic policies and what they could mean for the country’s finances. When Mr. Burnham’s path to Downing Street became clearer last month, investors balked. Gilt yields rose as traders were concerned that Mr. Burnham would be inclined toward spending and tax plans that would lead to more borrowing, adding to Britain’s already large debt pile. Mr. Burnham has sought to reassure investors, and Monday’s benign market reaction suggests he has mostly succeeded. But several analysts have noted that Mr. Burnham will be constrained by Britain’s economic backdrop of slow growth and relatively high debt and interest rates. “There is no clarity yet on any new direction in government policy as a whole and who the key personnel will be,” economists at Investec bank, a wealth management company, wrote in a note on Monday. “But what is certain is that while the faces at the top will change, the huge challenges facing the U.K. will stubbornly stay in place.” For markets, the next most important question is: Who will be the next chancellor overseeing the country’s finances? Rachel Reeves, the current chancellor who is deeply entwined with Mr. Starmer, is widely expected to be replaced. But Ms. Reeves has built up credibility with bond markets by adhering to strict fiscal rules to try to push down Britain’s debt levels, even when facing pressure from within the Labour Party to spend more. Mr. Burnham, as part of his efforts to build the trust of investors, has said he would keep Ms. Reeves’s fiscal rules in place. Mr. Burnham and his advisers have signaled that he might seek to transfer what he did in Manchester, most notably franchising public transit, to the rest of the country. He calls the approach “Manchesterism.” He has been critical of Britain’s vote a decade ago to leave the European Union. “The four horsemen of Britain’s apocalypse are deindustrialization, privatization, austerity and Brexit,” he has said. He has spoken of the benefits of bringing essential services and utilities “under public control” and giving more power to local governments. June 22, 2026, 10:05 a.m. ET Reporting from London Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain led his Labour Party to a resounding election victory just two years ago, promising an antidote to years of Conservative Party turmoil that had seen a quick succession of leaders come through 10 Downing Street. Now he, too, has announced his resignation, meaning Britain will soon have its seventh prime minister in a decade. That revolving door has become a feature of Britain’s volatile politics in the post-Brexit era. Some have criticized the swapping out of prime ministers as undemocratic, and opposition politicians often use the moment to call for a new general election. But in Britain’s parliamentary democracy, a change of prime minister does not require a general election, as British voters do not elect a premier but rather a party to govern. It is the party that gets to decide who is at the helm. Here’s a timeline of the changeovers. Time in office Before resignation After resignation Resigned Tony Blair 10 years, 57 days Gordon Brown 2 years, 319 days David Cameron 6 years, 64 days Theresa May 3 years, 12 days Boris Johnson 3 years, 45 days Liz Truss 50 days Rishi Sunak 1 year, 255 days Keir Starmer At least 2 years, 13 days Depending on speed of the Labour leadership contest 0 2 4 6 8 10 years Time in office Before resignation After resignation Resigned Tony Blair 10 years, 57 days Gordon Brown 2 years, 319 days David Cameron 6 years, 64 days Theresa May 3 years, 12 days Boris Johnson 3 years, 45 days Liz Truss 50 days Rishi Sunak 1 year, 255 days Keir Starmer At least 2 years, 13 days Depending on speed of the Labour leadership contest 0 2 4 6 8 10 years 2016: Brexit vote brings down David Cameron David Cameron, Britain’s prime minister from 2010 to 2016, called a referendum on the country’s withdrawal from the European Union, in an attempt to keep his Conservative Party united. He campaigned for Britain to remain in the bloc, and when a slim majority voted on June 23, 2016, in favor of leaving, he announced plans to step down. 2019: Failed talks end Theresa May’s tenure Mr. Cameron’s successor, Theresa May, faced her own struggles as she took on the complex task of navigating Britain’s departure from the E.U. Hard-line euroskeptics in the Conservative Party rebelled against Ms. May, who favored a softer Brexit that would have kept Britain largely within the E.U.’s economic orbit. Her plan failed to pass Parliament three times, and in May 2019 she said she would resign. 2022: Scandals topple Boris Johnson. Boris Johnson, the former mayor of London and one of Ms. May’s most vocal critics, succeeded her and eventually secured a Brexit deal. But Mr. Johnson, known for his brash persona, was eventually brought down by a series of scandals, including parties held in Downing Street that defied his own government’s coronavirus lockdown rules. 2022: Liz Truss lasts just six weeks. Liz Truss succeeded Mr. Johnson but was Britain’s shortest-serving prime minister, famously outlasted in her final days in office by a head of lettuce. Her introduction of an unfunded tax plan proved disastrous to the economy — the British pound fell to its lowest ever level against the dollar — and her party swiftly ousted her. 2024: Rishi Sunak calls a general election. Ms. Truss’s successor, Rishi Sunak, made history as the first British prime minister of Indian heritage. He was seen as far more competent than Ms. Truss, but the preceding years of turmoil in the Conservative Party had dented the party’s popular support, and he was forced to call a general election after about a year and a half in office. The Labour Party, led by Mr. Starmer, won by capitalizing on frustration with the Conservatives. 2026: Starmer, deeply unpopular, is on his way out. Labour’s victory, however, was not followed by smooth sailing. As Britain’s economic outlook remained gloomy, Mr. Starmer took heat for policy reversals, and critics accused him of lacking charisma. After damaging losses for the Labour Party in local elections in May 2026, pressure grew on Mr. Starmer to step aside. When Andy Burnham, a popular Labour mayor of Greater Manchester, won a seat in Parliament last week with a resounding majority, Mr. Starmer’s departure was increasingly seen as inevitable. Advertisement SKIP ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement SKIP ADVERTISEMENT June 22, 2026, 8:37 a.m. ET Reporting from London Will Britain’s next leader be chosen by contest or by something more like a coronation? In his resignation statement on Monday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a timetable for his departure from Downing Street that left open two options for the process to replace him. Option 1: A full leadership contest Under this scenario, a competition would take place to replace Mr. Starmer as the Labour Party’s leader and — because of the majority the party has in Parliament — as the prime minister. In his speech, Mr. Starmer said that he would ask Labour’s governing National Executive Committee to open nominations for party leader on July 9 and to close them by the time Parliament takes its summer recess. No exact date has been decided yet but is likely to be between mid to late July. To run, a candidate needs the support of 81 Labour lawmakers and of a small number of constituency parties and trade unions or other groups affiliated with the party. The favorite is Andy Burnham, a popular Labour politician and the former mayor of Greater Manchester, who won a parliamentary seat last week in a special election. Several other Labour politicians have given signs they might take part in a contest, including Al Carns, the former armed forces minister. But the person who was considered the most likely to join a contest, Wes Streeting, the former health secretary, ruled himself out on Monday by endorsing Mr. Burnham. Should anyone other than Mr. Burnham have enough support to join the field, the final choice would be made in a vote of the Labour Party’s fee-paying members and affiliated trade union supporters. In this scenario, a new leader would be “in place before Parliament returns in September,” Mr. Starmer said. That date has not been set but is usually early in the month. Option 2: Burnham is the only candidate and wins by default If Mr. Burnham is the only candidate by the time nominations close, he will win by default and secure the position of Labour leader some time between the middle and the end of July. Once that has been confirmed, Mr. Starmer would make the short journey to Buckingham Palace to formally offer his resignation to King Charles III, concluding his time as prime minister. Shortly afterward, Mr. Burnham would also visit the king and be invited to form a government and replace Mr. Starmer — a formality that, under the British system, would confirm him in the country’s top political job. Advertisement SKIP ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement SKIP ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement SKIP ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement SKIP ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement SKIP ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement SKIP ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement SKIP ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement SKIP ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement SKIP ADVERTISEMENT Related Content