UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is considering resigning within days, according to media reports, as pressure from within the Labour Party mounts following rival Andy Burnham's decisive by-election victory on Thursday.
Expectations are growing that Starmer could announce a resignation timeline as early as Monday, the same day Burnham is sworn in as an MP after winning by a wide margin. The result is said to have emboldened Labour figures, including Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, to call on Starmer to step aside.
A resignation would make Starmer the seventh prime minister in a decade, reflecting a rapid turnover in modern British political history.
Starmer has faced mounting pressure to quit after months of declining approval ratings, policy missteps, and scandals. In February, he drew criticism when revelations from the Epstein files involving Peter Mandelson—whom Starmer appointed as UK ambassador to the US in December 2024—came to light.
Burnham, the Greater Manchester mayor since 2017, has declared his intention to run for the leadership of the ailing centre-left party, warning in his victory speech that the party has a “last chance to change.” If successful, he would become prime minister by default, given Labour's overwhelming parliamentary majority.
A YouGov poll shows only 19% of Britons hold a positive view of Starmer, ranking him ninth among the most popular Labour politicians. Despite the pressure, Starmer has vowed to resist any efforts to oust him.
Business Secretary Peter Kyle said Sunday that Starmer is “taking time to reflect on the political reality, challenges, and opportunities he faces.” The Observer reported that Starmer is “expected to resign” on Monday, while the Sunday Telegraph also reported he is “ready to go,” citing allies of the embattled UK leader.
Labour's losses in local and regional polls across England, Scotland, and Wales last month further intensified the pressure. The fallout from those polls prompted the previous Labour MP for Makerfield to resign, allowing Burnham to contest the seat there.
Burnham, a former MP and minister under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, will be sworn back into parliament on Monday. A member of Labour's soft-left wing, he cemented his reputation as the party's most popular figure by easily defeating the far-right populist Reform UK candidate in this week's by-election, while Reform had won all Makerfield wards in last month's local elections.
