UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced his resignation on Monday, June 22, 2026, paving the way for Britain to have its seventh prime minister in just over a decade. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Associated Press.
Starmer said he was stepping down as leader of the governing Labour Party but will remain caretaker prime minister until a new Labour leader is chosen by the party.
Andy Burnham, who won a special parliamentary election last week, is the front-runner to replace Starmer as Labour leader.
Starmer won a landslide victory at a general election in 2024, but a series of missteps badly damaged his credibility.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen praised Starmer's legacy after news of his resignation. "It can take many leaders years to grow into the statesman you became in just two years. European and Ukrainian security is stronger because of you. Thank you, dear Keir," she said on X.
Starmer's voice choked with emotion near the end of the brief statement. "The question my party is asking now is whether I am best placed to lead us into the next general election. I have heard the answer of my parliamentary party to that question," Starmer said.