Keir Starmer announced his resignation as prime minister and Labour party leader on Monday, after ex-mayor of Manchester Andy Burnham won a seat in Parliament.

Mr Starmer made a statement outside the door of the PM’s residence, 10 Downing Street. It comes just shy of two years after he led Labour back into power with a huge win over the Conservatives in the 2024 general election.

He listed the achievements his government had made so far, but admitted that members of the party had questioned whether he was the best person to lead them into the next election. More than 100 Labour MPs called for him to step down in May after terrible local election results.

Mr Starmer said he would leave with “good grace”, adding: “Every decision I’ve taken has been about putting the country I love first.” He will stay in the job until Labour chooses a new leader, which he said will happen before parliament returns from its summer break in September.

Burnham bids for the big job

Hours after Mr Starmer’s announcement, Mr Burnham confirmed that he’d run to succeed him as PM.

Mr Burnham has been very outspoken lately about how badly the Labour government is doing. He said that he plans to bring about the “change this country needs” and that he wants to ensure that “the places Westminster has neglected will now get fairness”.

Mr Burnham returned to Parliament last week after the residents of Makerfield chose him as their MP in the House of Commons, ahead of candidates from parties including Reform UK, the Greens, the Conservatives – and one led by Count Binface, a man with a dustbin on his head.

Earlier this year, Keir Starmer’s former Health Secretary Wes Streeting – who resigned from his job last month, saying he’d lost confidence in Mr Starmer – said he’d like to run for PM, but now he says he’ll support Mr Burnham’s bid.

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