LONDON, 22 June. - (ANA) - Sir Keir Starmer announced his resignation as Prime Minister less than two years after winning a landslide general election victory.

 

After a weekend considering his position, he addressed the nation from Downing Street to lay out a departure timetable as the shortest serving Labour Prime Minister.

 

Looking drained and exhausted, Sir Keir said: "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."

 

He added: "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.

 

"I have spoken to His Majesty the King this morning to inform him of my decision."

 

Sir Keir has asked Labour's ruling National Executive Committee to set out a timetable for a leadership contest with nominations opening on July 9 and to be completed by the summer recess to "ensure a new leader is in place before Parliament returns in September".

 

He would stay on as Prime Minister until a successor is chosen and if there is a "coronation" for Andy Burnham, rather than a contest, the latter could be in Downing Street within weeks.

 

In a highly-emotional end to his short resignation speech, Sir Keir said: "When I leave the biggest job in the country, I shall spend more time on the most important job, being the best husband I can to my fantastic wife, Vic, who has been a rock by my side through good times and bad, and being the best dad I can to my beautiful children, who are my pride and my joy."

 

The Prime Minister was standing aside as Burnham was heading to Parliament with a surge of support from Labour MPs, including many in London, for him to take over as Prime Minister.

 

London MPs backing Mr Burnham include former shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, MP for Hayes and Hillingdon, Brent East MP Dawn Butler, Brent North MP Barry Gardiner and Liam Conlon who represents Beckenham and Penge.

 

Sir Keir's future had looked increasingly untenable ever since Mr Burnham won a decisive victory at the Makerfield by-election last week.

 

There will now be huge expectation in Labour ranks for former Cabinet minister Mr Burnham to deliver change in Government and in the country to stop Nigel Farage becoming Prime Minister.

 

Sir Keir had vowed to fight any leadership contest and No10 was sticking to this line as late as Monday morning.

 

But with his authority draining away it was clear he would have lost heavily in any showdown against Mr Burnham with Labour MPs rallying around the "King of the North" who has made his name as Mayor of Greater Manchester.

 

If he had sought to fight on, Sir Keir would have faced the threat of a series of Cabinet resignations.

 

At least four Cabinet ministers were reported to have already urged Sir Keir to set out a No10 "exit plan" including Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper and Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander.

 

More than 100 Labour MPs, including several in London, had publicly called for Sir Keir to step down.

 

Mr Burnham now faces the task of building a Government with divisions already emerging including over who should be Chancellor, replacing Rachel Reeves, with ex-Cabinet minister Wes Streeting and Mr Miliband seen as the frontrunners.

 

Sir Keir will stay on in Downing Street for a number of weeks.

 

But Mr Burnham is set to be Prime Minister in time for Labour's annual conference in Liverpool at the end of September.

 

However, a number of Labour MPs believe there should be a contest for the Labour leadership, and to be PM, rather than a "coronation" for Mr Burnham.

 

It was not yet clear if Ilford North MP Mr Streeting, who resigned as Health Secretary with withering criticism of Sir Keir's government, will challenge Mr Burnham in a contest.  - (ANA) -

 

AB/ANA/22 June 2026 - - -