Keir Starmer Resigns as Prime Minister and Labour Leader

Keir Starmer has shared a statement this morning, confirming his resignation as Prime Minister and leader of the Labour Party.

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The announcement came at 9:30am this morning (Monday June 22), when Starmer appeared outside 10 Downing Street to address press, who had been gathered there since 6am.

There had been strong indications that the address would see Starmer officially tender his resignation, and beginning his speech, he said that he took over the Labour Party at a time when it was “politically, financially and morally bankrupt”.

He also said that while he was told “time and time again” that the party was “finished”, he believes he has “proved those people wrong” during his time as PM – particularly, he said, by “ripping out the poison of anti-Semitism” and working to “restore trust in the economy, defence and national security”.

Announcing his resignation, Starmer said that the move was made as he “heard the answer” from his party, and is “accepting” it with “good grace”.

Ahead of the speech this morning, Starmer spoke to the King and informed him of his decision to resign. He also said that he will do everything he can to ensure a smooth handover of power, and plans to offer his full backing to whoever replaces him in the “biggest job in the country”.

As for his plans next, Starmer said the wants to dedicate to what he considered “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 that I can to my beautiful children, who are my pride and joy.”

The resignation comes after Business Secretary Peter Kyle said on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg yesterday (June 21) that the PM was pondering over “political realities”.

Around that time, US President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that he believed Starmer “will resign” after “failing badly” – and a spokesperson for Number 10 confirmed to the BBC that Starmer did not speak to Trump over the weekend, ahead of this morning’s speech.

A spokesperson for the research and polling organisation More in Common also said ahead of the resignation that Starmer stepping down should not come as a shock. This, they said, is because recent findings showed that over half of people questioned said that they believed Starmer should step down as PM after May’s elections.

Going forward, Starmer has said he will ask the Labour Party’s National Executive Committee for nominations for a new party leader to open on July 9. This, he added, will be completed “by the summer recess” on July 16. This structure means that if there is a contest, a new leader should be in place by September 1.

> Keir has given huge service to our country and I want to thank him for his leadership and dedication during such a challenging period. His decision marks the beginning of a transition and it is important that this process is conducted in an orderly and responsible way. I will… — Andy Burnham (@AndyBurnhamGM) June 22, 2026

At time of writing, it looks likely that Andy Burnham, the newly-elected Labour MP for Makerfield, could be the next PM. As highlighted by BBC News , if he does take on the role, others expected to get big roles include Louise Haigh – former transport secretary who was the first of Keir Starmer’s cabinet ministers to quit – and Anneliese Midgley, who has been Knowsley MP since 2024.

Others likely to be brought into office include Josh Simons, Member of Parliament for Makerfield from 2024 to 2026 who gave gave up his seat for Burnham, and Miatta Fahnbulleh, who resigned as a junior minister for communities following the May elections.

Burnham has shared a statement following the PM stepping down, and thanked him “for his leadership and dedication during such a challenging period”.

Ahead of Starmer’s resignation, former health minister Zubir Ahmed has said that he thought stepping down was the “right thing [for Starmer] to do”, and Labour MP and Andy Burnham supporter Anna Dixon shared a similar sentiment, saying that the “writing is on the wall” for the PM.

Lib Dem leader Ed Davey has spoken about how the move makes Starmer the our sixth prime ministerial resignation since David Cameron announced his departure soon after the Brexit referendum – which was a decade ago tomorrow – and said that the UK public is “sick” of the constant PM turnaround.

Others to respond to the resignation include the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), who said that whoever comes into office next must do more to help protect the live music sector.

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“The Night Time Industries Association is calling on all prospective candidates to recognise the critical importance of the UK’s night-time economy to the nation’s future prosperity,” their statement read, adding that this “marks a defining moment for the country’s future direction and an opportunity for those seeking office to demonstrate their commitment to one of Britain’s most valuable economic and cultural sectors.”

They added that the protection of the live music sector and night-time events should be among top priorities, as although it is something that “supports millions of workers, entrepreneurs, artists, venues, suppliers and communities, contributing billions of pounds annually while driving culture, tourism, hospitality and social connection”, it continues to “face significant challenges and are too often overlooked in economic decisions and national policy discussions.”

Their statement concluded: “As candidates set out their vision for Britain’s future, we urge them to engage directly with the sector and commit to policies that support investment, protect jobs, foster entrepreneurship and secure the long-term sustainability of night-time businesses across the country… When nightlife succeeds, Britain succeeds.”

> Keir Starmer has been a friend and colleague for over three decades, ever since our time as young lawyers. He is man of great integrity who has devoted his career to public service. Keir has made a huge contribution to the Labour party and our country, and I want to thank him. pic.twitter.com/PbYnJxQAx6 — Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) June 22, 2026

Since the resignation announcement, London Mayor Sadiq Khan has described Starmer as “a man of great integrity, who has devoted his career to public service”, and Green Party leader Zack Polanski has said that if Burnham steps up, he “must be bold or he will be bust”.

Reform Leader Nigel Farage has taken to X to respond to Starmer stepping down, calling him “the most incompetent prime minister” and pushing for a general election to be held at the “soonest possible date”.

The post Keir Starmer resigns as Prime Minister and leader of Labour Party appeared first on NME .

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