British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced his resignation Monday after months of growing pressure within the Labour Party and a sharp decline in public support. He will remain in office until a successor is chosen; former Manchester mayor Andy Burnham is the leading candidate.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced his resignation Monday evening, delivering a visibly emotional statement after months of growing pressure within the Labour Party, as The Zioneer reported at 00:05 Jerusalem. Starmer said he would remain in office until a successor is chosen, with a replacement expected before Parliament reconvenes in September.
Earlier on Monday, Israeli journalist Amichai Stein (i24NEWS) first reported that Starmer had informed Downing Street staff of his intention to resign, followed by multiple Israeli and British media confirming the development. By 00:05 Jerusalem, The Zioneer had published a thread of updates tracking the resignation, including Starmer's tearful announcement and his naming of former Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham as his preferred successor. Burnham — who returned to parliament in a by-election earlier this month, as The Zioneer reported on Fri Jun 19 at 13:41 Jerusalem — confirmed he will enter the leadership race, with Health Secretary Wes Streeting publicly backing him.
Starmer's resignation makes him the sixth UK prime minister to step down in the decade since the Brexit referendum, as noted by N12 journalist Asaf Rozentzweig. The resignation comes less than two years after Starmer led Labour to a landslide victory that ended 14 years of Conservative rule.
It remains unclear when exactly the Labour Party will elect a successor, though the leadership race is expected to conclude by September. No other candidates have formally declared beyond Burnham.
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