Former British prime minister Keir Starmer has resigned from Parliament, saying he wants to focus on international affairs after losing the premiership and facing declining support among voters and within the Labour Party.
Starmer led Labour to a decisive victory in the 2024 general election, securing one of the largest parliamentary majorities in modern British history. His success marked a dramatic turnaround after Labour’s poor performance in the 2019 election, when the party suffered its worst result since 1935.
However, Starmer’s tenure as prime minister was marred by a series of policy reversals and declining public support. His popularity gradually weakened, eventually contributing to his departure from office.
Starmer had previously said he would remain an MP until the next general election. However, he told the Camden New Journal, a local newspaper serving his North London constituency, that he had changed his decision and would now “concentrate on international affairs”. He later confirmed his resignation in a statement on X.
Foreign policy was widely regarded as one of Starmer’s stronger areas during his time as prime minister. He worked closely with French President Emmanuel Macron to establish the so-called Coalition of the Willing in support of Ukraine, sought to improve relations with China, formally recognised a Palestinian state and made efforts to strengthen ties with US President Donald Trump, with mixed results.
No timeframe was given for a by-election in Starmer’s constituency of Holborn and St Pancras.
Starmer retained the seat comfortably in the 2024 election, securing a majority of more than 11,500 votes. However, an independent candidate who primarily campaigned against Israel’s military offensive in Gaza secured nearly 19 per cent of the vote.
Starmer was replaced as prime minister in July by Andy Burnham, who became Britain’s seventh prime minister in a decade. Burnham’s appointment has since boosted Labour’s standing in opinion polls, although he faces a tougher political test when Parliament resumes later on Tuesday.
