Starmer out as British Prime Minister, Mayor Andy Burnham, tipped to take over

NEARLY TWO YEARS after leading the Labour Party to a landslide election victory, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced his resignation amid a mounting rebellion within the party, kick-starting the race for the seventh prime minister of the United Kingdom in 10 years.

In an emotional address on Monday, June 22, 2026, Starmer said he would remain in office until a new Labour leader and, by extension, the next prime minister is selected. The formal leadership contest is to begin on July 9 and is to be completed by the UK Parliament’s summer recess. Weeks of internal pressure after disappointing local election results had already weakened Starmer’s position. A decisive parliamentary by-election victory in Makerfield by challenger and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, ultimately triggered the resignation.

Since 2016, the UK has had six prime ministers, averaging one every one and a half to two years, compared with the much longer tenures of Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair, who each led the country for more than a decade.

Burnham cruised to victory in a high-stakes by-election on Thursday [June 18] paving the way for him to challenge Starmer for the leadership of the Labour Party and the United Kingdom.

Voting results early on Friday showed that Burnham had defeated his closest challenger, Robert Kenyon, the candidate for the anti-immigration Reform UK. Burnham won 24,927 votes, beating Kenyon by 9,231 votes, despite fears that Reform would put up a strong fight. The far-right party had displaced Labour

in all eight of its council seats in Makerfield last month and came in a strong second at the last general election in 2024.

With the formalities over, Burnham can now focus on what he really wants to do – become prime minister.

According to his supporters, he is the best candidate to replace Starmer by the time of the Labour Party’s next annual conference in September.

Many in the party are hungry for change following a series of missteps, culminating in the disastrous showing in the early May local elections.

Despite winning an overwhelming majority in the 2024 general election, Labour currently languishes in the polls, often coming second to Reform. Burnham is one of the party’s most popular politicians, dubbed the “King of the North” in the media and a soft-left contender from outside of the London political elite.

A candidate requires the nominations of 81 Labour MPs to make the ballot, which could either trigger a full summer campaign or a swift, uncontested handover if a backroom deal is struck. (Source: Al Jazeera)