Keir Starmer has announced that he will resign as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Having led the Labour Party to a landslide victory in the 2024 general election, he lost the backing of many party members within two years and chose to step down.
Record in Office
During his time in government, Starmer introduced several social reforms. The Employment Act created new entitlements to sick pay, parental leave and abolished zero‑hours contracts. The national living wage was raised by 4.1 percent, benefitting low‑paid workers. The Renters’ Rights Act made it unlawful for landlords to evict tenants without a legal reason and eliminated fixed‑term tenancies.
On migration, his administration reported a 48 percent drop in net migration over the past year, a 12 percent decline in asylum applications and a 41 percent reduction in small‑boat arrivals. Internationally, Starmer worked to rebuild UK‑EU relations after Brexit, launched the Coalition of the Willing to support Ukraine in its defence against Russia, and became the first serving British prime minister to receive France’s Legion d’honneur and Ukraine’s Order of Freedom.
Criticism focused especially on cuts to the overseas aid budget, which prompted the resignation of Minister Anneliese Dodds on moral grounds. Additionally, the proposed increase in employer National Insurance contributions to fill a £24 billion fiscal gap, alongside debates over inheritance tax reforms for farmers and changes to the benefits system, provoked internal party dissent and public backlash. These controversies eroded the confidence of his backbench colleagues.
Following a defeat in the Makerfield by‑election, Starmer decided to resign, making way for Andy Burnham, who had served as Mayor of Greater Manchester for less than two months, to assume the premiership. Burnham is set to take office officially on the coming Monday. Consequently, the United Kingdom will have seen its seventh prime minister in ten years.