The United Kingdom has entered another period of serious political instability after Prime Minister Keir Starmer officially announced his resignation.
With this move, he became the sixth prime minister of the country to leave office in the last ten years, leaving the ruling Labour Party in search of a new leader.
The procedure: When will Britain have a prime minister?
According to the officially announced schedule by the Labour leadership, the procedure for nominating candidates will start on July 9 and will end on July 16, 2026. To enter the race, each contender must secure the support of at least 20% of the party's deputies in parliament.
Analysts note that there is a serious chance of the so-called “coronation“ – a quick inauguration without real competition. Key figures such as Deputy Prime Minister Angela Raynor have already declared that they will not run. If a consensus figure is reached, the new Prime Minister could take office as early as July 17. If there are more candidates, a vote by party members will take place in the summer, and the final result will be clear by September 1, 2026 at the latest. An early general election is not expected, as Labour has an overwhelming majority in the House of Commons.
Who is the favorite for power?
The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, is said to be the absolute favorite for 10 Downing Street. Burnham managed to return to national politics after a key victory in the by-election in the constituency of Makerfield. His strong popularity among voters in northern England makes him the logical choice to stabilize the government's shaky confidence.
The reasons for Keir Starmer's collapse
Starmer's resignation came after a drastic drop in public approval ratings, which according to opinion polls reached critical levels of minus 46%. The main catalyst for the crisis was the heavy losses for Labour in local elections in May, where voters overwhelmingly supported the Greens and the right-wing party “Reform UK“.
Tensions were also heightened by a series of internal scandals. The last few months have been marked by the sudden resignation of Defence Secretary John Healy, as well as by the sharp dissatisfaction with the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the US.
The mood in London and the international response
The opposition forces in the country reacted sharply to what was happening. The leader of “Reform UK“ Nigel Farage and representatives of the Liberal Democrats immediately called for immediate early elections on the grounds that the country cannot be governed by leaders appointed through internal party changes without a direct mandate from the people.
On the international stage, European partners reacted with concern for London's stability. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed regret for Starmer's decision, emphasizing his contribution to restoring constructive dialogue between Brussels and Britain after Brexit. Meanwhile, from Kiev, President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed gratitude to Starmer for London's unwavering military support in defending Ukraine.