Keir Starmer has announced his resignation as prime minister and leader of the Labour Party, bringing an abrupt end to a premiership that began with Labour's landslide election victory in July 2024. He will remain in office as caretaker prime minister until Labour chooses a successor, with the party now expected to launch a leadership contest on 9 July and aim to have a new leader in place by September.
Speaking outside 10 Downing Street on Monday, Starmer said he would step aside after mounting pressure from within his own party. Labour's leadership contest is now expected to centre on who can secure the support needed to enter the ballot, while Andy Burnham's return to Westminster has made him the name most closely associated with the succession race.
