Starmer Resigns; Burnham Poised to Become UK's Seventh PM in a Decade

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced his resignation on Monday following growing pressure from within the Labour Party and poor local election results. The decision comes after Andy Burnham won a decisive victory in the Makerfield by-election, paving the way for him to challenge Starmer for the Labour leadership.

The resignation marks a significant moment in British politics as it sets up the country to have its seventh prime minister in ten years. Local elections in England and parliamentary ones in Scotland and Wales showed Britain's traditional two-party system has been disrupted, with Reform gaining a strong foothold across the nation.

Starmer acknowledged that the question within his party was whether he was best placed to lead them into the next general election. He accepted that the answer from his parliamentary party was no and pledged to do everything to allow an orderly transfer of power, with Andy Burnham expected to be his successor.

Starmer's tenure has been marked by policy missteps and scandals. His government struggled to define and implement its policy agenda, focusing on growth that never materialized and reducing illegal migrant arrivals that continued unabated. The appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the US due to his ties with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was a significant scandal that led to resignations and further damaged Starmer's reputation.

On the international front, Starmer received praise for his role in rallying European support for Ukraine against Russia's invasion. He also had some success in winning around US President Donald Trump by massaging his ego with offers of state visits and praising his efforts to bring peace in Ukraine. However, this relationship soured over issues including the Iran war.

Starmer is set to remain as caretaker prime minister until a new Labour leader is chosen, likely by September. The formal leadership contest will begin on July 9 and is expected to be completed by the UK Parliament’s summer recess according to Reuters. Burnham's victory in Makerfield cleared the way for him to challenge Starmer for the Labour leadership.

The Makerfield seat, predominantly white British, traditionally working-class, post-industrial, and heavily pro-Brexit, has been a stronghold for Labour. Burnham's win there is seen as a significant endorsement of his potential leadership according to CBS News. According to CNBC, Burnham defeated a candidate from Nigel Farage's Reform UK party.

The local elections were widely seen as a referendum on Starmer himself. Labour lost 1,496 council seats in local elections last month while Reform UK secured 1,453 councillor positions and took control of 14 councils according to Al Jazeera. The results have triggered a series of resignations and challenges within the party.

Housing secretary Steve Reed is considering proposals to create a new state-owned housing developer, which could borrow at lower rates than private developers and housing associations. However, these plans cannot be enacted before Keir Starmer steps down as prime minister due to a cabinet secretary order halting major announcements until the new government takes office.

Andy Burnham is set to replace Keir Starmer as prime minister and will likely take office on July 17. Various groups, including Labour MPs, unions, civil servants, political advisers, and thinktanks are competing to influence Burnham's policies. His economic vision will be laid out in a speech next week.

Reform UK made significant gains in local council elections, including sweeping victories in areas like Barnsley and East Sussex. South Tyneside's new Reform council is considering closing 10 publicly run nurseries, which provide various services to the community.