British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to resign on Monday and set out a timetable for his departure, the Observer newspaper reported on Saturday.
The report said that Starmer had reached the conclusion that his position as Prime Minister was no longer tenable after speaking to cabinet ministers, advisers, donors and trade union leaders. These conversations are believed to have played a key role in shaping his decision-making process, as concerns reportedly grew over leadership stability and internal political pressure within the Labour Party.
According to the report, Starmer was discussing the matter with his wife at his Chequers country residence before making a final decision. It also added that senior Labour figures expected a clear statement on his future as early as Monday.
Although there has been no official confirmation from Downing Street, the Observer report suggests that preparations are underway for a major political announcement that could lead to a significant change in UK leadership and trigger a wider political transition within the Labour Party.
However, a government source told Reuters that Starmer remained focused on his job and pointed to previous statements he has made to that effect.
{{/usCountry}}However, a government source told Reuters that Starmer remained focused on his job and pointed to previous statements he has made to that effect.
{{/usCountry}}Starmer on Friday said he would fight any challenge, which is expected to come from Andy Burnham, who recently won a parliamentary seat. “I am not going to walk away,” he said.
The Andy Burnham challenge
A clear majority of Keir Starmer’s cabinet believe it’s now inevitable Andy Burnham will take over as UK PM, Bloomberg had reported on Friday, quoting people familiar with the thinking of more than 15 cabinet ministers.
However, the same Bloomberg report also said that Burnham does not intend to launch an immediate leadership challenge. The mayor of Greater Manchester since 2017, Burnham will stand down from that position and take his seat in Westminster on Monday, but plans to let pressure build over the weekend without intervening further.
According to people familiar with his plans cited in the report, the scale of Burnham's victory over Nigel Farage’s Reform UK in Makerfield proves that he is best placed to lead Labour against the populist right.
Most in the Labour Party argue that the longer Starmer resists, the more damaging his exit will be.
The options facing Starmer “are now few and far between,” his former political director Luke Sullivan told Times Radio. “This result, the scale of it, has changed all possible paths for survival for the prime minister.”