Britain’s Keir Starmer on Monday announced his resignation as prime minister and 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. Follow our live blog for all the news and reactions.
Who is Andy Burnham, the Manchester mayor poised to replace Starmer as Labour leader?
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen praises Keir Starmer following resignation
The president of the European Commission called the prime minister a “statesman” and praised his efforts to reinforce European and Ukrainian security.
This comes as British, French, German, Polish, and Italian leaders are set to meet in Berlin for Ukraine talks. As caretaker Prime Minister, Starmer is still expected to attend.
Watch Keir Starmer’s full statement in front of 10 Downing Street
Reform leader Nigel Farage calls for a general election following Starmer’s resignation
‘Putting the country I love first’: Starmer delivers emotional resignation speech
Less than two years after he won a landslide election victory that promised to end chaos in British politics, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced his resignation in an emotional address outside 10 Downing Street.
The threat to Starmer, which had been building for months, increased sharply on Friday when Andy Burnham, the Greater Manchester mayor, decisively won a local by-election, beating a candidate from Nigel Farage’s far-right Reform UK party, which has led national opinion polls for more than a year.
“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,” Starmer 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 continued as he choked up in an emotional speech outside the iconic British prime ministerial residence.
Starmer said the process of picking a new Labour Party leader would be launched in July and he would remain as prime minister until his successor is chosen, to be in place in September.
Starmer to remain as caretaker prime minister
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced his resignation, paving the way for the country to have its seventh prime minister in just over a decade.
Andy Burnham, who won a special parliamentary election last week, is the frontrunner to replace Starmer as leader of the governing centre-left Labour Party.
Starmer will remain in the prime ministerial residence at 10 Downing Street until party members vote on a new leader in the next few weeks.
Starmer says he will resign in orderly transfer of power
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said he will resign and has promised to do everything he can to see an orderly transfer of power.
Starmer addresses nation outside 10 Downing Street
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is speaking outside 10 Downing Street.
