The reason for the criticism of Starmer is the significant losses of Labor in local and regional elections in England, Scotland and Wales, where part of the voters switched to Nigel Farage’s right-wing populist Reform UK party.
According to The Observer, Starmer is set to present a “timetable” for his departure from the prime ministership in the coming week. Unnamed senior party members claim that Starmer could make a “clear statement” as early as Monday 22 June.
The quoted paper said that Starmer discussed his situation at the weekend at the prime minister’s country seat in Chequers with his ministers, advisers, union representatives and also with his wife Victoria.
“The Prime Minister seems to have come to the conclusion that his position is no longer tenable,” wrote The Observer. The BBC server noted that Starmer’s authority “collapsed” when Foreign Minister Yvette Cooper, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood or Transport Minister Heidi Alexander called for him to leave, and yet they remain in their posts.
Burnham is the favourite
Further speculation was fueled by the statement of Business Minister Peter Kyle, who said that Starmer is considering the current political reality and the challenges he faces, and that he will ultimately do “what is in the best interest of the country”.
At the same time, Starmer’s departure from the position of prime minister would open the way to the election of a new leader of the Labor Party, who should subsequently replace him as the head of the government.
According to the BBC, the clear favorite is the former mayor of Manchester, Andy Burnham. According to surveys among members of the Labor Party, he would very likely win a possible fight for the leadership of the party and the cabinet.
Andy Burnham’s popularity has plummeted ahead of the crucial Makerfield by-election, a poll has shown.
The Labor leadership hopeful had an approval rating of minus 7 per cent in a poll by Ipsos, down 15 percentage points on the previous month.
🖇️ https://t.co/SM9SWalZKP pic.twitter.com/OzMdZhwhuu
— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) June 16, 2026
Former Minister of Health Wes Streeting is also considered a possible successor to Starmer, who previously indicated that he would stand for the position.
However, it is not excluded that other candidates will appear. The support of at least 81 Labor MPs, i.e. roughly a fifth of them, is needed to call for a vote on the new party chairman.
If Starmer really announced his departure, it is not yet clear when his successor would take over the position of prime minister. Inside the Labor Party, there are conjectures about whether the transition of power should be quick or postponed until the fall.
“I wish him well”
Proponents of a faster exchange warn that a longer period of uncertainty could cripple the functioning of the government and fuel further speculation about its future direction. Starmer is Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from July 2024.
US President Donald Trump unexpectedly reacted to the conjectures in London. On his social network Truth Social, he wrote without specifying a date that Starmer “resigns” because he “failed” in two very important things – migration and energy policy. “I wish him well,” Trump added.
