Starmer faces mounting pressure to resign after Burnham win

Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing growing pressure to set out a timetable for his departure, with media reports and government insiders suggesting he could announce plans to stand down as soon as Monday after Andy Burnham’s decisive by-election victory.

Starmer has repeatedly insisted he will not walk away and would fight any leadership challenge. But the mood inside government has shifted sharply over the past 48 hours, the BBC reported, with several insiders now believing the prime minister could move quickly to outline his exit.

Business Secretary Peter Kyle said Sunday that Starmer would do “what is in the best interests of the country” and was reflecting on the “political realities” he faces. Speaking to Sky News, Kyle said Starmer was “making time to reflect on the political realities, challenges and opportunities that he finds himself in” after what he described as a “frank” conversation with the prime minister on Friday.

The immediate trigger is the Makerfield by-election in northwest England, where Burnham won comfortably and is due to be sworn in as a lawmaker Monday. Al Jazeera reported that Burnham nearly doubled Labour’s majority in the constituency, easily defeating the candidate from Reform UK, the hard-right populist party led by Nigel Farage. Reform had won all of Makerfield’s wards in local elections last month.

Burnham, who has served as Greater Manchester mayor since 2017 and previously held ministerial posts under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, has made clear he intends to challenge for Labour’s leadership. In his victory speech, he warned the party had a “final chance to change.” If he became Labour leader, he would become prime minister because Labour holds a large parliamentary majority.

Labour MPs have increasingly argued that the party’s weakness is tied to Starmer personally. The BBC reported that dozens of MPs had already said he should quit, and that the list has grown since Thursday, with senior cabinet ministers privately adding their voices. Ministers including Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander have told Starmer to go while remaining in their posts, the BBC reported.

Starmer has been under pressure after months of declining popularity, policy missteps and scandals, according to Al Jazeera. YouGov polling cited by Al Jazeera showed only 19 percent of British people had a positive opinion of him, making him the ninth most popular Labour politician. In February, he faced criticism after revelations from the Epstein files involving Peter Mandelson, whom Starmer had appointed as Britain’s ambassador to the United States in December 2024.

The Observer reported that Starmer was “expected to resign” Monday and would “set out a timetable for his departure” after weekend talks at Chequers, the prime minister’s country retreat. The Sunday Telegraph also reported he was “ready” to go, citing allies of the prime minister.

If Starmer resigns, the next question is whether Labour holds a contested leadership race. The BBC reported that Wes Streeting, the former health secretary, had long said he would run, though allies are now suggesting potential candidates should discuss the party’s future. Any other contender would have little time to secure the 81 nominations from Labour MPs needed to reach the ballot.

Timing is also unsettled. Some figures close to Burnham want him to take over around Labour’s annual conference in late September, arguing that would give him time to prepare for government. Others warn a three-month transition would paralyze decision-making. “His opportunity to define himself would be thrown off by endless speculation,” one minister told the BBC.

A possible Burnham government is already prompting debate over senior appointments. The BBC reported that Ed Miliband, the energy secretary, and Mahmood had been viewed by some MPs as potential chancellor candidates, though Mahmood is now expected to remain home secretary if Burnham becomes prime minister. One minister said, “If he picks Miliband, about 100 Labour MPs will be furious from the outset.” Unite general secretary Sharon Graham has publicly urged Burnham not to appoint Miliband.