UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer To Resign On Monday
British Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, is reportedly considering announcing his resignation as early as Monday amid mounting pressure from within the Labour Party and growing speculation over his political future.
According to several UK media reports, Starmer spent the weekend reflecting on whether to remain in office as senior party figures and lawmakers intensified calls for him to step aside.
The uncertainty surrounding his future persisted on Monday morning, with journalists gathering outside 10 Downing Street awaiting a possible statement. However, officials in the Prime Minister's office said they could not confirm whether Starmer had reached a final decision or when a potential announcement might be made.
Junior Education Minister Jacqui Smith acknowledged that the Labour leader had been weighing his options carefully.
“I do not know if he has made a decision. I know that he has been thinking really hard about what is best for the country,” Smith told Sky News.
“I trust him to make the right decision,” she added.
The speculation comes as veteran Labour politician Andy Burnham prepares to take his seat in Parliament after securing victory in a crucial by-election, a development that has fuelled expectations of a leadership challenge.
Under Labour Party rules, only a sitting Member of Parliament can lead the party, making Burnham's return to Westminster a significant step toward a possible bid for the top job.
Should Starmer resign, Britain would be preparing for its seventh prime minister in just ten years, an extraordinary level of political turnover in modern British history.
The 63-year-old former human rights lawyer had previously vowed to resist any attempts to force him from office. However, political observers believe Burnham's emphatic by-election victory in Makerfield may have prompted a reassessment of his position.
The Guardian reported that Starmer was expected to announce plans to step down following overwhelming pressure from Labour MPs demanding that he make way for Burnham.
The BBC also noted that indications were growing that the prime minister could unveil a timetable for his departure on Monday, while several British newspapers carried dramatic front-page headlines suggesting his leadership was effectively over.
Even United States President, Donald Trump, weighed into the matter, predicting Starmer's imminent exit from office.
Writing on his Truth Social platform on Sunday, Trump declared: “Keir Starmer will resign.”
The US president also criticised Starmer's handling of immigration and energy policies, areas that have increasingly become points of contention for the embattled British leader.
Burnham, who has served as Mayor of Greater Manchester since 2017, has already signalled his intention to seek the Labour leadership, warning during his victory speech that the party had a “final chance to change.”
Given Labour's commanding parliamentary majority, Burnham could potentially become prime minister without the need for a general election if he succeeds in securing the party leadership and faces no serious challengers.
Reports indicate that Starmer spent the weekend with his family at Chequers, the prime minister's country residence, where he held discussions with close allies and advisers.
Business Secretary Peter Kyle said on Sunday that Starmer was “making time to reflect on the political realities, challenges and opportunities that he finds himself in.”
The Guardian further reported that the prime minister and his inner circle were already working on a potential resignation speech, with one possible timeline seeing him remain in office until after the summer before a successor is formally unveiled at Labour's annual conference in late September.
Pressure on Starmer has reportedly intensified within his own government. Sky News reported that Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper was among senior ministers urging him to step aside, while more than 100 of Labour's 403 MPs are said to have called for his resignation.
Since taking office in July 2024, Starmer's administration has been beset by a series of controversies, policy reversals, ministerial resignations and declining public approval ratings.
His leadership came under severe strain in March over his controversial appointment of Peter Mandelson as the United Kingdom's ambassador to Washington, a decision that triggered significant backlash.
Labour's disappointing performance in local and regional elections across England, Scotland and Wales last month further weakened Starmer's position and emboldened internal critics seeking a change in leadership.
The resignation of Makerfield's previous Labour MP subsequently paved the way for Burnham's return to Parliament and set the stage for a potential leadership contest.
A former cabinet minister and senior Labour figure, Burnham comfortably defeated the candidate of the right-wing populist Reform UK in the by-election, bucking national political trends.
Although Burnham has yet to outline a detailed policy agenda should he become prime minister, British media reports suggest he is considering replacing Chancellor Rachel Reeves while retaining Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood in a future administration.