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The Guardian Politics22 Jun 2026

Keir Starmer’s resignation speech: anatomy of a picture

What can we learn from the prime minister’s address in Downing Street and the people looking on? By Ben Quinn Photograph Sean Smith Keir Starmer announced his intention to resign as Britain’s prime minister in a short speech on Monday morning. Apart from the rain which poured down on his predecessor, Rishi Sunak, the scene was reminiscent of that which unfolded just under two years ago when the Conservative prime minister resigned. Continue reading...

PoliticsDefence
The Guardian Politics22 Jun 2026

Keir Starmer has quit as prime minister – what will happen next in UK politics?

Britain will soon have its fifth prime minister in four years. How did we get here and what challenges await Starmer’s successor? UK politics live – latest updates Britain is to get its fifth prime minister in four years after the current incumbent of Downing Street, Keir Starmer, announced on Monday that he would resign. It was widely expected and comes after months of mounting pressure on Starmer, who led the Labour party to a landslide victory in the 2024 UK general election but who has fac

PoliticsHousing
The Guardian Politics22 Jun 2026

How tensions with Trump dominated Starmer’s premiership

Analysts say foreign policy was an ‘area of relative strength’ for the prime minister – but goodwill with the White House soon evaporated Keir Starmer inherited two wars and a country disconnected from the EU when he arrived in Downing Street – and that was before Donald Trump crash-landed at the White House and undermined the foundations of the UK’s most important alliance. It was a context that would have tested any prime minister, though in many respects Starmer negotiated it carefully. But l

PoliticsDefence
The Guardian Politics22 Jun 2026

Who is Andy Burnham, the ‘man of the people’ likely to be next UK prime minister?

Expected successor to Keir Starmer has promised to understand voters outside London and those who feel unheard UK politics live – latest updates In the story that Andy Burnham tells about himself, “the turning point” in his political life came in 2009 when he was booed at a football ground in the north-west of England. He had been an ideologically reliable middle-ranking minister under Tony Blair, the centrist New Labour prime minister between 1997 and 2007, and had gone on to be appointed as

Politics
The Guardian Politics22 Jun 2026

The Guardian view on Labour’s leadership: Andy Burnham has a story. He must also have a plan | Editorial

Keir Starmer won power but never explained Britain’s crisis. The new MP for Makerfield offers a sharper diagnosis – and one that voters can understand Political careers often end when circumstances demand qualities that a politician cannot supply. That seems especially true of Sir Keir Starmer. On Monday, he stepped down as Labour leader, hours before Andy Burnham arrived at Westminster to take his seat as MP for Makerfield. Sir Keir’s achievements were real. He won a large parliamentary majorit

Politics
The Guardian Politics22 Jun 2026

What could Andy Burnham’s first 100 days in power look like?

New Makerfield MP could get keys to No 10 sooner than his team would have liked – but he will need to deliver fast to succeed UK politics live – latest updates It was 3.30am, just after the Wigan returning officer had read out Andy Burnham’s 9,231 majority, and a close adviser to Burnham texted: “We will need to be ready a lot sooner than we thought.” Keir Starmer resigned on Monday before Burnham was even sworn in as an MP. Wes Streeting was out of the race an hour later. Burnham travelled do

Politics
The Guardian Politics22 Jun 2026

Starmer resigns as UK prime minister - The Latest

Keir Starmer has announced he is standing down as prime minister after days of intense pressure from Labour MPs, including cabinet ministers, following Andy Burnham’s byelection victory in Makerfield. Wes Streeting has ruled himself out of the running, so will it be a coronation for the ‘king of the north’ or could another candidate emerge? Lucy Hough speaks to senior political correspondent Peter Walker – watch on YouTube Continue reading...

Politics
The Guardian Politics22 Jun 2026

Good luck, Andy Burnham – you’ll need more than a smile and a better bus service to succeed in No 10 | Simon Jenkins

As prime minister, Starmer acted with dignity. What a pity that those Labour colleagues who ousted him could not do the same The toppling by his colleagues of Britain’s prime minister is humiliating, not only for Keir Starmer but for parliamentary democracy. It is a rejection of the electorate, which chose a party with Starmer at its head, and of Labour’s manifesto of less than two years ago, all in favour someone who, until last week, had not been an MP since 2017. Andy Burnham’s sole claim to

Politics
The Guardian Politics22 Jun 2026

The rise and fall of Keir Starmer: where did it all go wrong?

PM’s demise after landslide victory two years ago points to an increasingly volatile and impatient electorate Historians will puzzle over this one. Of the six prime ministers that have led Britain over the last decade, with a seventh now on the way, it will be the fall of Keir Starmer that will most perplex the political analysts of the future. They will ponder a man who won a landslide victory in July 2024 only to be pushed out less than two years later, having started no illegal wars, having t

PoliticsDefence
The Guardian Politics22 Jun 2026

Keir Starmer resigns: what now? – podcast

An emotional Keir Starmer announced his resignation as prime minister and Labour leader on Monday morning, less than two years after he won a huge majority at the general election. The question now is who will replace him: will Andy Burnham sweep into No 10 uncontested? And can he make a difference where Starmer failed? Continue reading...

Politics
The Guardian Politics22 Jun 2026

Keir Starmer’s resignation speech: the six key takeaways

PM reminds listeners of his landslide general election win and achievements in office before ending with tribute to his family UK politics live – latest updates It was only a few minutes long, fewer than 750 words, and was in part almost drowned out by music blasted by anti-Brexit protesters. But there was a lot in Keir Starmer’s resignation speech – not all of it stated openly. Here we look at the key quotes and what the prime minister meant by them. Continue reading...

Politics
The Guardian Politics22 Jun 2026

Starmer has a strong green record – but a rightwing backlash weakened his plans

Prime minister was forced to row back on some policies despite strong support among voters for climate action Keir Starmer has faced a problem no Labour government has needed to deal with before. His energy and climate policies – core to solving the cost of living crisis – have come under attack from opposition parties, which have made dismantling the agenda one of their top priorities, second only to immigration, in their pitch to voters. This is new in British politics, where a cross-party con

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