UK PM Keir Starmer Set To Resign After Labour Party Turns On Him

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is confronting the gravest political test of his leadership as disastrous local election results fuel a widening revolt inside the Labour Party, with a growing number of lawmakers reportedly calling for him to step aside.

Starmer is expected to resign on Monday, though allies close to the prime minister insist he remains focused on governing and has no intention of leaving Downing Street.

The Observer reported that Starmer has been discussing his political future with his wife, Victoria, as he weighs a possible timetable for departing 10 Downing St. next week.

The turmoil follows a major political boost for Starmer’s rival, Andy Burnham, who won a parliamentary seat in a Greater Manchester by-election.

A senior U.K. government source told Reuters that Starmer remains focused on the job and is not going anywhere, even as pressure mounts from within his own party.

Burnham, who has twice previously sought the Labour leadership, is reportedly backed by more than half of Labour MPs for a potential challenge against Starmer.

The two men are expected to meet next week as Labour’s internal crisis deepens.

“Keir has realized the game is up and it’s got to be a graceful exit,” a senior Labour figure told Reuters.

“What he rightly wants to avoid is humiliation, but the worst humiliation for Keir personally would be if he stands in a leadership election and is heavily beaten,” the figure added.

Burnham served as mayor of Greater Manchester from 2017 to 2026 and was once associated with Labour’s centrist, pro-business faction. In recent years, however, he has rebranded himself as a left-wing populist, using man-on-the-street social media videos that have drawn comparisons to the political style of Zohran Mamdani.

Burnham won with 55% of the vote, defeating Labour’s main challenger, the Reform Party led by Brexit champion Nigel Farage.

Starmer’s troubles come as Britain continues to face public frustration over the economy, immigration, and the broader direction of the country under Labour rule.

His strained relationship with President Donald Trump has also loomed over his premiership, particularly after Starmer declined to assist the United States during the war against Iran.

“I’m not happy with the UK either… this is not Winston Churchill that we’re dealing with,” Trump said of Starmer in March after tensions between the two leaders escalated.

Trump was reportedly angered by Starmer’s refusal to allow U.S. aircraft to launch from the joint U.S.-U.K. base at Diego Garcia and other British-linked bases in the region.

Starmer eventually permitted U.S. access to Diego Garcia, but only after sharp criticism from the commander in chief.

“We were not involved in the initial strikes against Iran, and we will not join offensive action now. But in the face of Iran’s barrage of missiles and ⁠drones, we will protect our people in the region,” Starmer said in March.

Another politically damaging flashpoint has been Starmer’s decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as Britain’s ambassador to Washington. The move drew backlash because of Mandelson’s previous association with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Now, the fallout threatens to become a full-blown leadership crisis.

More than 60 Labour lawmakers have reportedly urged Starmer either to resign or publicly set out an exit timeline.

That level of unrest is particularly dangerous in Britain’s parliamentary system, where governing parties can replace a sitting prime minister without calling a national election.

For Labour, the challenge is not only Starmer’s weak approval numbers but the party’s broader identity crisis. Labour voters remain far more pro-European than the general public, but reopening the Brexit debate remains politically explosive in a country still divided by the 2016 referendum.

Some Labour figures are now warning that Starmer may be beyond political recovery.

Labour MP Joe Morris bluntly stated that “the prime minister has lost the confidence of the public.”

For conservatives, Starmer’s crisis is another reminder that weak leadership, uncontrolled immigration, economic drift, and foreign policy hesitation carry real political consequences. While Labour once promised stability, the party now appears to be turning inward as its own members question whether Starmer can survive.