Keir Starmer resigns as UK Prime Minister after less than two years in office
Keir Starmer announced his resignation as UK Prime Minister and Labour Party leader on Monday, less than two years after leading Labour to its biggest election victory since 1997.
In 30 seconds
- Starmer won the July 2024 election with 411 seats — Labour''s largest majority since 2001 — but on only 34% of the popular vote
- His net approval rating fell to -66 (Ipsos) — the lowest of any UK PM since 1977, below Liz Truss''s nadir of -51
- The trigger: Andy Burnham won the Makerfield by-election on 18 June 2026 with over 50% of the vote
- Starmer remains PM in caretaker capacity; Labour nominations open 9 July; new leader expected before Parliament returns in September
(born 1962) served as UK Prime Minister from July 2024 to June 2026. A former human rights barrister and Director of Public Prosecutions, he led Labour from its worst defeat since 1935 to landslide victory in 2024.
Background
1962 — Keir Starmer born 2 September in Southwark, London. Named after Keir Hardie, Labour''s first parliamentary leader. 2008–2013 — Director of Public Prosecutions and Head of the Crown Prosecution Service. Oversaw phone-hacking prosecutions. 2014 — Appointed KCB (Knight Commander of the Bath). 2015 — Elected MP for Holborn and St Pancras, London. April 2020 — Elected Labour Party leader (56.2% first round) after ''s 2019 catastrophe. July 2024 — Labour wins 411 seats, majority of 174. Starmer enters Downing Street. October 2024 — Chancellor Reeves budget criticised for tax rises and winter fuel allowance cuts. Approval erodes sharply. May 2025 — Labour suffers major local election losses. Health Secretary resigns with leadership ambitions. Summer 2025 — Disability benefits cuts scaled back after a major backbench revolt — the third major U-turn of Starmer''s tenure. September 2025 — Deputy PM Angela Rayner resigns amid a tax controversy. 2025–2026 — Net satisfaction falls to -66 (Ipsos). Reform UK under Nigel Farage capitalises on anti-establishment sentiment. 18 June 2026 — wins the Makerfield by-election with over 50% of the vote, defeating Reform UK. 22 June 2026 — Starmer resigns outside 10 Downing Street: "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."
The wider picture
Starmer''s resignation arrives at a delicate moment in UK-EU relations. His government negotiated a reset deal with Brussels — the most significant UK-EU realignment since Brexit — agreed personally with Commission President . Brussels is watching Andy Burnham''s European positioning carefully. EU sources cited by Le Soir describe a ''reassessment'' of the planned UK-EU summit timing, with European officials preferring to wait until a new Labour leader is confirmed before proceeding.
Why now
The immediate trigger was Andy Burnham''s Makerfield by-election victory on 18 June. The North West England seat was a bellwether test of whether a Labour candidate running with Burnham''s endorsement — and explicitly distancing from Starmer — could defeat Reform UK. He won over 50%. Within 96 hours, enough Labour MPs had privately confirmed they would not back Starmer in a confidence vote to make his position untenable. Home Secretary Mahmood and Foreign Secretary Cooper had already opened discussions about a transition timeline.
What to watch
1. The Labour leadership race: Andy Burnham (56) is frontrunner; nominations open 9 July, winner expected September. Wes Streeting, Angela Eagle, and Yvette Cooper may also stand. 2. Reform UK: Nigel Farage will attempt to frame Labour''s transition as proof that mainstream politics cannot deliver. 3. The EU-UK summit: under reassessment — Brussels will wait for the new leader to publicly reaffirm the reset agenda before scheduling. 4. The parliamentary programme: Starmer remains PM in caretaker mode; no major legislation expected until autumn.
What to do
No immediate change to rights under the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement, which remains binding law. The reset deal trade provisions are in secondary legislation and will not be disturbed by a change of PM. However, planned bilateral agreements on professional qualifications recognition — still in negotiation — may be delayed if the new leader''s team needs time to review the file.
Impact
Regional — Belgium sits at the heart of the EU institutions that negotiated the post-Brexit reset deal with Starmer. The estimated 30,000 British nationals living in Belgium and 25,000 Belgian nationals in the UK face renewed uncertainty over bilateral agreements on professional qualifications recognition, still in negotiation.
How we got here
- May 2010
David Cameron (Conservative) enters Downing Street after a hung parliament, forming a coalition with the Liberal Democrats. He wins an outright majority in 2015.
- June 2016
Cameron resigns hours after the Brexit referendum returns a 51.9% Leave vote. He had campaigned vigorously to Remain.
- July 2016
Theresa May (Conservative) becomes PM without a general election, tasked with delivering Brexit. She triggers Article 50 in March 2017. Her withdrawal deal is defeated three times in Parliament.
- July 2019
Boris Johnson (Conservative) wins the Conservative leadership on a promise to Get Brexit Done. He wins an 80-seat majority in the December 2019 snap election and takes Britain out of the EU.
- July 2022
Boris Johnson resigns after mass Cabinet resignations over Partygate — illegal gatherings in Downing Street during COVID lockdowns and subsequent cover-up.
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- 23 Jun 2026, 02:00
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- 23 Jun 2026
- Published:
- 23 Jun 2026, 02:00
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- 23 Jun 2026
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