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LONDON, June 22, 2026 — In a stunning political collapse, Sir Keir Starmer has announced that he will step down as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, less than two years after leading the Labour Party to a sweeping general election victory.

The dramatic announcement came Monday outside 10 Downing Street, where an emotional Starmer set out a timetable for his departure after weeks of mounting pressure from within his own party.

Starmer, 63, admitted that Labour was now questioning whether he remained the right person to lead the party into the next general election, which must be held before July 2029.

The resignation follows a bruising period for the Labour government, including major losses in last month’s local elections, where the party reportedly lost more than 1,000 seats. The results triggered renewed unrest among MPs, party activists and senior figures concerned about Labour’s direction, public support and ability to hold power.

Starmer’s fall is especially extraordinary given the scale of Labour’s 2024 triumph, which ended 14 years of Conservative rule and handed him one of the strongest parliamentary mandates in modern British politics.

But less than 24 months later, the political momentum has turned sharply.

His departure now opens the door to a Labour leadership battle, with attention already turning to possible successors, including Andy Burnham, who has emerged as a major figure in the party’s next chapter.

For Britain, the announcement marks another dramatic moment in a decade of political instability.

For Labour, it is a breathtaking reversal: from landslide victory to leadership crisis in under two years.