British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced yesterday that he was resigning from the prime ministership and the leadership of the Labour Party, paving the way for the United Kingdom to have its seventh prime minister in the last 10 years, BTA reports.
The political chaos on the island dates back to the Brexit referendum, which took place exactly 10 years ago, Reuters noted.
In an emotional speech, Starmer said that he had listened to his ruling Labour Party and realized that he was no longer the man to lead it to the general election scheduled for 2029. After making the announcement on the steps of his Downing Street office, Starmer's decision to step down could have sparked a fierce leadership race, but several Labour MPs said they were already expecting a "coronation" sooner rather than later.
Former Manchester mayor Andy Burnham confirmed he would run for Labour leader shortly after Starmer promised an "orderly handover" in an emotional statement outside 10 Downing Street, PA Media reported.
His chances of winning the premiership unopposed were boosted minutes later when former health secretary Wes Streeting said he would support Burnham in the upcoming race. Streeting had been seen as a potential rival to Burnham for the leadership, but his decision to not run in the race paves the way for a "coronation" in mid-July.
Announcing his bid for the party leadership, Burnham said Starmer's resignation "marks the beginning of a transition."
"The Labour movement has always been at its strongest when it looks forward with confidence and purpose," he said.
"That is exactly what we will do from now on and ensure that this transition is a positive process of renewal for our party and our country," Burnham added.
Voicing his support for the new Makerfield MP, Streeting said he had spoken "at length" with Burnham and concluded that he could “win the battle of our lives against the forces of nationalism“. “We can spend the summer exaggerating the small differences, or we can roll up our sleeves and help him deliver the change that our party and our country need,“ he added.
Hours later, the so-called King of the North arrived in Westminster by train from Manchester and was greeted by a huge wave of support, posing for photographs with nearly 200 Labour MPs in parliament, the “Telegraph“ wrote.
He entered parliament to a standing ovation from his own party and some boos from the opposition, including one man who shouted: “He is not the Messiah.“ Burnham then swore allegiance to King Charles to take his seat as an MP - a necessary step to becoming the new leader of the Labour Party and of Britain.
No serious challenger emerged after Wes Streeting, the former health secretary, withdrew from the race, saying he hoped "everyone else would support Andy".
Any candidate needs the support of 80 MPs, and the number who turned out to welcome Burnham suggests that may not be possible. If no Labour MP challenges him, Burnham could become Labour leader and prime minister on July 17 or 18, PA Media said.
Andy Burnham is called the King of the North mainly because as mayor of Greater Manchester he built an image as the most vocal defender of Northern England against central government in London, British media write.
The nickname became particularly popular during the Covid pandemic in 2020, when Burnham entered into a heated argument with Boris Johnson's government over restrictions in Greater Manchester and demanded more financial support for people and businesses during the lockdown. At that time, media outlets such as “Sky News“ described him as “King of the North” because of the way he stood up to London on behalf of the northern regions.
His nickname is also a partial reference to the cult series “Game of Thrones“, where “King in the North” is the title that the northern lords give to Robb Stark, and later to Jon Snow. In Burnham's case, the expression is a media and political nickname that plays on this pop culture association, but in essence means: the politician who speaks on behalf of the North against Westminster, the tabloid “Sun“ indicates.
The Labor government is the latest to fall victim to voter anger over politicians' failure to deliver on their promises of change - 10 years after the vote to leave the European Union.
The Labour leadership election effectively leaves Britain without a clear government for the next four weeks, but Starmer is expected to attend the NATO summit in Turkey next month despite his decision to step down, the Telegraph reported.
“The question my party is asking itself now is whether I am the right person to lead it into the next general election. I have heard my parliamentary group's answer to that question and I accept it with dignity”, Starmer said.
After outlining his government's achievements in two years in power, the man who has often been criticised for appearing robotic, visibly moved as he thanked his family for their support, Reuters reported.
“When I leave the biggest job in the country, I will spend more time on the most important job – to be the best husband I can be to my wonderful wife Vic, who has been my pillar of strength in good times and bad, and to be the best father I can be to my beautiful children, who are my pride and joy.
Starmer spent the weekend with his wife Victoria at his country residence to consider his future. As support for him waned, he came to terms with the political reality of his situation.
There was some sadness within Labour. Industry Secretary Chris McDonald said his speech had highlighted the fact that “he is a genuinely decent man”. But others said he had been treated the way he had treated others as prime minister and that he had been "unceremoniously screwed over," Reuters added.
The threat to Starmer, which had been building for months, rose sharply on Friday when Burnham won a landslide victory in the by-election in Makerfield, northwest England, and returned to Westminster. He beat Reform UK candidate Nigel Farage, who has led the polls for more than a year.
The victory gave Labour MPs hope that Burnham, known for his strong communications skills, could turn around the party's fortunes after it lost support under Starmer.
The pound rose against other currencies and UK government bond prices rose after Streeting's announcement as investors welcomed a clearer path to the premiership for Burnham.
Despite hopes of a smooth transition, the change is not without risk.
Burham has yet to set out a full policy programme, and Reform UK leader Farage immediately called for a general election.
“I've had enough of waiting. Britain needs change – "real change, not another worn-out politician from the past, put in office by the one-party establishment," Farage said in a statement.
Apart from saying Britain needs fundamental change and that he wants to reduce the cost of living, Burnham has yet to make clear his approach to foreign affairs, the economy and defence.
Like Starmer, he may find he has little room to manoeuvre. He will be constrained by bond market investors who oppose any further borrowing, and will face an angry electorate who believe the country is not functioning properly, Reuters added.
Britain already has the highest borrowing costs among wealthy G7 countries because of its high debt and interest payments, years of weak economic growth, difficulties in cutting spending and the need to invest in areas such as defence.