Sir Keir Starmer has resigned as Labour leader, triggering a succession process that could hand new Makerfield MP Andy Burnham the keys to No 10 within weeks.
In an emotional statement outside Downing Street, Starmer said he had accepted the verdict of his MPs that he was no longer the right person to lead his party into the next election.
“I have heard the answer of my parliamentary party to that question, and I accept that answer with good grace,” he said. He confirmed he had spoken to the King to inform him of his decision.
It came days after Burnham’s decisive victory in the Makerfield by-election, which handed the former Greater Manchester mayor a Commons seat – and the ability to mount a leadership bid.
Pressure had been building since Labour’s heavy losses at the May local elections, after which over 100 of the party’s MPs publicly called on Starmer to go.
He also faced resignations from within his own Cabinet. Wes Streeting quit as health secretary last month to position himself for a leadership challenge, while John Healey resigned as defence secretary over the Government’s defence funding settlement.
Starmer said he would remain in post until a successor is chosen. He has asked Labour’s National Executive Committee to open nominations on 9 July and complete the process before the summer recess – meaning a new prime minister could take over in mid-July if Burnham is unopposed, or by the end of August if there is a contest.
The central question now is whether Labour holds a contest at all, or whether the party coalesces around Burnham in an unopposed “coronation”.
What happens now Starmer has gone?
A successor must be chosen from within the Labour Party, under rules set out in chapter four of the party’s rulebook.
First, any candidate must secure nominations from 20 per cent of Labour MPs – currently 81, based on the party’s 403 seats. Only sitting MPs can stand, which is why the obstacle facing Burnham until last week was that he did not hold a Commons seat.
Candidates must also win the backing of either five per cent of constituency Labour parties, or at least three affiliated organisations whose combined membership is at least five per cent of the affiliated total – two of which must be trade unions.
Crucially, each MP can nominate only one candidate and cannot switch their backing to another unless their first choice drops out. That limits how many contenders can realistically clear the 81 MP threshold.
It is this rule that makes a so-called coronation possible. If enough MPs commit to Burnham early, there may not be enough left over to put a rival on the ballot.
Makerfield MP, Andy Burnham addresses members and supporters of the Labour Party after he won the by-election (Photo: Temilade Adelaja/REUTERS)Could Burnham be crowned without a contest?
If only one candidate clears both hurdles, they are elected unopposed and become Labour leader – and Prime Minister – without a ballot of the wider membership.
This is the outcome Burnham’s allies have been pushing for. Burnham-supporting MPs have been canvassing colleagues to swing behind him quickly to avoid a drawn-out campaign.
Under Starmer’s proposed timetable, an unopposed Burnham could take over in the middle of next month.
There is recent precedent for a handover without a contest. In 2007, Gordon Brown was the only candidate to receive enough nominations to replace Tony Blair, and took over after a short transition.
The main obstacle to a clean coronation had been Streeting, who quit the Cabinet as Health Secretary last month to position himself for a challenge and has maintained he intends to stand.
However, shortly after Starmer announced his resignation, Streeting issued a statement offering his support to Burnham to become the next Labour leader and Prime Minister.
He said that the new Makerfield MP is “committed to building an inclusive party that draws on the best of our political traditions”, adding that “he can win the fight of our lives against the forces of nationalism”.
“We could spend the summer exaggerating small differences, or we can roll up our sleeves and help him to deliver the change our Party and our country needs. That is the choice that I am making and I hope that everyone else will back Andy, too,” Streeting said.
What happens if there is a contest?
If more than one candidate clears both thresholds, the choice goes to a ballot of Labour members, affiliated trade unionists and registered supporters.
Voters rank candidates in order of preference. Anyone who fails to win more than 50 per cent in the first round sees the lowest-placed candidate eliminated and their second preferences redistributed, with the process repeating until one contender passes the threshold.
A contest would take longer than a coronation, but Starmer has said a new leader would still be in place before Parliament returns on 1 September – meaning a contested race would conclude by the end of August.
The party’s last leadership contest, in 2020, ran for around three months, with nominations opening in early January and the result announced in early April.
The timetable is set by the NEC, which also decides eligibility rules. In 2016, when MPs attempted to remove Jeremy Corbyn, it barred members who had joined within the previous six months from voting.
A Labour spokesperson said: “Following the Prime Minister’s announcement today that he intends to resign as leader of the Labour Party, Labour’s ruling body, the National Executive Committee, will shortly agree a timetable for the election of the next Leader of the Labour Party.
“Further details of the Leadership election will be communicated in due course.”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer makes a statement outside No 10 Downing Street confirming he will stand down as Labour leader and Prime Minister (Photo: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)Who else could stand?
Beyond Burnham, several names have been floated as potential candidates. However, many have either ruled themselves out or are unlikely to get the required support to get on the ballot.
Wes Streeting: The former Health Secretary previously committed to challenging Burnham, having quit the Cabinet last month criticising the Government’s “drift” and lack of “vision”. However, shortly after Starmer resigned on Monday, Streeting announced that he was backing Burnham for leader.
Angela Rayner: The former deputy prime minister had signalled she would back Burnham rather than stand, making an open challenge unlikely.
Ed Miliband: The Energy Secretary and former Labour leader has ruled himself out and, allies told The Times, intends to act as a kingmaker for Burnham. He topped favourability rankings among party members at +65 in Survation polling for LabourList in April 2026.
John Healey: The former Defence Secretary, who resigned over the defence settlement, is well regarded within the party and has been touted as a possible contender.
Al Carns: The former armed forces minister, who quit this month over the Government’s defence funding settlement, has been floated as a potential contender.
The Socialist Campaign Group: Labour’s left has been reported to be weighing whether to field a candidate to broaden the debate, though no name has been confirmed.
What about a general election?
Whoever replaced Starmer, calls for a snap general election are likely to grow, since no new Labour leader will have sought a direct mandate from voters.
There is no constitutional requirement for one. Conservative shadow Northern Ireland secretary Alex Burghart told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that “constitutionally there doesn’t have to be a general election”, adding: “You can change prime minister.”
The pressure is not confined to the opposition. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, whose party holds a clear lead in the polls, has demanded an election.
In a Substack essay, Farage criticised Burnham and said that the UK could not “afford to waste another week drifting from crisis to crisis”.
“To men like Burnham, democracy is only a means to an end, to be discarded as soon as it is inconvenient for his personal ambitions,” Farage wrote.
“That is not what I stand for, and it’s not a kind of politics I could ever support. That is why we must have a General Election at the earliest possible opportunity.”
Some Labour MPs share the concern. Mike Tapp, a Home Office minister, has argued that a leader forced out by their own party should have to go to the polls, warning that a seventh prime minister in seven years would be “unsustainable”.
Writing on social media, Tapp called for legislation to “stop the constant churn and focus all politicians on delivery”.
The next election is not required until August 2029.
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