London (AFP) – UK leader Keir Starmer announced Monday he was quitting following months of pressure, with veteran Labour politician Andy Burnham the frontrunner to become the country’s seventh prime minister in a decade. Burnham could be installed in 10 Downing Street in just over three weeks after would-be rival Wes Streeting said he was backing the ex-Manchester mayor for the premiership.
Starmer’s voice cracked during an emotional speech outside his official residence, as he conceded he had lost the support of his Labour party MPs after just two years in office. He said he had informed head of state King Charles III of his decision to resign so that a new Labour leader, and therefore prime minister, could be elected. “I will remain in post as prime minister until the contest is complete, and I will do everything I can to ensure an orderly handover of power,” Starmer said, choking back tears when he thanked his wife Victoria and two children.
Starmer said he had asked Labour’s National Executive Committee to set out a timetable for his replacement, with nominations to open on July 9 before closing on July 16. If Burnham is unchallenged, then he is likely to become prime minister on either July 17 or 18. Starmer — well-respected abroad for his involvement in supporting Ukraine, NATO, opposing the United States on Iran and pushing closer ties with Brussels — returned Labour to power after 14 years in opposition with a landslide general election victory over the Conservatives in July 2024. But his premiership quickly became characterised by domestic policy U-turns, deep public unpopularity, ministerial resignations and a scandal over his ill-fated decision to appoint a known associate of late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein as the UK’s ambassador to Washington.
His domestic authority all but evaporated following dire local and regional election results in May, with Labour lawmakers ultimately deciding Starmer was incapable of fighting off the rising far-right anti-immigration Reform UK party.
– ‘Country I love’ –
Starmer had vowed to fight any leadership challenge, but several senior ministers reportedly told him the game was up after Burnham won a parliamentary by-election last week, allowing him to run for leader. Burnham, a former Labour minister under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown who has been mayor of Greater Manchester since 2017, travelled to London by train Monday — a journey tracked by TV cameras in helicopters. Burnham, who has twice failed to become Labour leader previously, then took up his seat in the House of Commons, ditching his trademark black t-shirt for a suit and tie. Afterwards, he was clapped and cheered as he met around 200 Labour MPs.
During his resignation speech, Starmer said he accepted “with good grace” the view of Labour lawmakers that he should not lead them into the next general election, expected in 2029. “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,” he added, as senior ministerial colleagues looked on.
– ‘Forces of nationalism’ –
Starmer hugged his wife after finishing his speech, which a prominent anti-Brexit campaigner tried to drown out by playing the European Union anthem “Ode to Joy” from a nearby street. Energy minister Ed Miliband praised Starmer’s “great dignity,” while EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said he had made European and Ukrainian security “stronger.” Burnham called for “orderly and responsible” transition, writing on X: “I will put myself forward as part of this process.”
Quickly afterwards, former health secretary Streeting, who had vowed to join a leadership race, instead suggested Burnham could become leader without a formal contest. Streeting said he had spoken to Burnham in recent days and was convinced he “can win the fight of our lives against the forces of nationalism.” Burnham, from the so-called soft-left wing of Labour, would likely face questions about the extent of his mandate, with Reform leader Nigel Farage swiftly calling for a snap general election. Burnham has also provided little detail about his plans for government if he wins power, causing concern among some MPs.
UK media say he intends to replace finance minister Rachel Reeves while retaining interior minister Shabana Mahmood. Starmer had promised stability and economic growth after the Conservatives churned through five prime ministers following the 2016 Brexit referendum, with its 10th anniversary falling on Tuesday. A YouGov poll Monday of some 6,000 Britons found that 62 percent thought Starmer was right to resign. “I still don’t have much confidence in the government, so fingers crossed he (Burnham) gets it right,” 27-year-old store worker Lauren Kenworthy told AFP in Manchester.
© 2024 AFP
