Former British prime minister Rishi Sunak issued a warning to his expected successor, Andy Burnham, saying that without a clear work plan he will “become just another prime minister who lies awake at night wondering why it does not work.” Sunak’s comments were published in The Sunday Times as Keir Starmer’s resignation intensified Britain’s political turmoil.
Starmer stepped down less than two years after winning office, making him the sixth leader to leave in a decade, a pace of turnover not seen in Britain for nearly 200 years. Reuters said Burnham is likely to become the seventh prime minister in ten years.
The report links the instability to long-running economic and political problems, including weak living standards, which have remained broadly stagnant since the financial crisis, and difficulty dealing with illegal immigration. Britain’s public debt has risen to nearly 100% of GDP after spending tied to the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, pushing up borrowing costs and limiting the government’s ability to invest in public services.
Reuters also cited 2025 figures showing that while average income in Britain rose, the purchasing power of the bottom 40% of earners fell compared with 2021. Starmer was criticized for lacking a coherent plan on key issues such as electricity prices, health care, and defense spending. The report said other drivers of instability include a faster political culture shaped by social media and news channels, excessive centralization in government ministries, and the weakening of Britain’s foreign policy model after Brexit, which has revived calls for Scottish independence.
