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UK PM Starmer Announces Resignation 06/22 06:05
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Monday that he will resign,
forced out by his own party after missteps and mistakes soured voters' goodwill
for a prime minister who won a landslide election victory two years ago on a
promise of steady leadership and economic growth.
LONDON (AP) -- British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Monday that he
will resign, forced out by his own party after missteps and mistakes soured
voters' goodwill for a prime minister who won a landslide election victory two
years ago on a promise of steady leadership and economic growth.
Starmer says he will remain caretaker prime minister until his Labour party
chooses a new leader -- with expectations growing that it will be former
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham.
Burnham confirmed in a social media post that "I will put myself forward as
part of this process." Former Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who was
considered his main rival for the top job, said he will back Burnham.
It was Burnham's victory in a special parliamentary election last week that
triggered Starmer's decision to resign. After nearly a decade out of Parliament
as the mayor of Greater Manchester, Burnham returns to Westminster and will be
sworn in as a lawmaker later on Monday.
Only members of Parliament can stand for the party leadership.
Streeting's statement makes it more likely that Burnham will be selected
without a leadership contest.
Starmer is the sixth prime minister in a decade to stand outside 10 Downing
Street and announce a premature departure. His statement comes the day before
Britain marks the 10th anniversary of its vote to leave the European Union, a
decision that still roils the country's economy and politics.
After weeks of insisting he would fight to keep his job, Starmer conceded to
growing pressure to hand over to a new leader who can try and revive the
government's flagging fortunes. He led Labour to a landslide election victory
in July 2024, but since then his popularity and that of the party have
plummeted.
A new leader in place within weeks
Starmer made the announcement outside his official 10 Downing St. residence,
the spot where he delivered his first speech as prime minister two years ago.
His voice choked with emotion near the end of the brief statement, which was
watched by a group of staff, Cabinet ministers and scores of journalists.
"The question my party is asking now is whether I am best placed to lead us
into the next general election," Starmer said. "I have heard the answer of my
parliamentary party to that question, and I accept that answer with good grace."
He said he spoke to King Charles III, Britain's constitutional monarch, to
inform him of the decision.
Starmer spent the weekend pondering his future following Burnham's special
election victory.
It's unclear whether Burnham, who is due to be sworn in as a member of
Parliament on Monday, will now face a coronation or a challenge. Starmer said
nominations for a leadership contest will open on July 9, and the new leader
will be in place by the time Parliament returns from its summer break on Sept.
1.
If Burnham is the only candidate, the change could come by mid-July.
Starmer struggled to fulfill election pledges
Starmer has struggled to deliver promised economic growth, repair tattered
public services and ease the cost of living. He has been hamstrung by repeated
missteps, including his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson, a
scandal-tarnished friend of Jeffrey Epstein, as the U.K. ambassador to the
United States.
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.
U.S. President Donald Trump weighed in even before an announcement, linking
Starmer's potential exit to two of his recurring bugbears: immigration and
renewable energy.
"Keir Starmer will resign as Prime Minister of The United Kingdom. He failed
badly on two very important subjects- IMMIGRATION AND ENERGY (OPEN NORTH SEA
OIL!). I wish him well! President DJT," Trump posted on his social media
platform.
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.
He won praise on the world stage
In contrast to missteps on the domestic front, Starmer has won praise for
his international role, notably in rallying European support for Ukraine in its
fight against Russia's invasion, and working to mitigate the economic and
political turmoil unleashed by the Iran conflict.
A NATO summit in Turkey next month may be his last foray on the world stage
as Britain's leader.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen praised Starmer's legacy.
"It can take many leaders years to grow into the statesman you became in
just two years," she said on X. "European and Ukrainian security is stronger
because of you. Thank you, dear Keir."
While many Labour lawmakers have rallied behind Burnham, some have said that
Starmer had been treated unfairly. London legislator Neil Coyle railed on X
against "the prospect of an utter stitch-up & the media circus being rewarded.
"When the next leader cannot change Trump, Iran, Ukraine, Putin, Musk,
broadcast editorial & algorithm bias overnight they'll bay for his blood too.
Better keep that guillotine sharp," he wrote.
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