Pressure on UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer intensified on Sunday amid growing expectations that he could resign as early as Monday. British media reported that senior Labour figures are pushing him to step aside for Andy Burnham, the popular Greater Manchester mayor, after Burnham’s landslide win in a special parliamentary by-election in Manchester. The Guardian said Starmer may announce a “structured timetable” for departure, while one government source said the resignation might not take effect until the autumn and added, “I expect him to do the right thing for the country.”
Starmer was spending the day with his family at Chequers and was said to be consulting relatives and allies. Sky News and Reuters both quoted sources close to him saying he had not made a final decision. Some allies are urging him to fight on, and one source said, “I hope he fights, because that is what he needs to do. But I will support whatever decision he makes.” Starmer’s office referred reporters to his earlier denials that he planned to leave, but he has not directly addressed the new reports.
Trump beat him to the punch on Truth Social, writing that Starmer “will resign” and had failed badly on immigration and energy, adding, “Open up North Sea oil,” and wishing him good luck. Starmer’s standing has collapsed after Labour’s poor local election results, and more than 100 Labour MPs are now said to want him gone. If he leaves, he would be the sixth British prime minister to exit Downing Street in a decade, against the backdrop of post-Brexit political instability.
Burnham, 56, has emerged as the favorite replacement. He won 55 percent in Thursday’s special election in Makerfield, with Reform UK’s candidate on 34 percent, and is expected to be sworn in as an MP on Monday. The Guardian says at least 200 of Labour’s 403 MPs may already back him, far above the 81 needed to trigger a leadership contest. Burnham, who has called for lower living costs, public control over key services and recognition of a Palestinian state, has also said of Manchester’s election night, “This night may be a turning point.”
