London: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday announced that he is stepping down as the Prime Minister and leader of the governing Labour Party.
In a statement outside 10 Downing Street, Starmer said he would remain in office as Prime Minister until a new Labour leader is elected in the coming weeks.
"The question my party is asking now is whether I am best placed to lead us into the next general election. I have heard the answer of my parliamentary party to that question, and I accept that answer with good grace. Every decision I’ve taken has been about putting the country I love first," Starmer said.
"That is why I will resign as leader of the Labour Party. I have spoken to His Majesty the King this morning to inform him of my decision," he added.
Starmer led the Labour Party to a decisive election victory in July 2024, ending a 14-year wait for the party to return to power. However, his government has faced growing criticism over several policies adopted since taking office.
Despite announcing his resignation, Starmer said his goal had always been to transform Britain for the better and create a fairer country built on dignity and respect, where everyone is valued and where wealth and opportunities are available to all rather than only the privileged few.
"A page in our country's history turned after years of disappointment and despair, the chance to change the lives of millions of people for the better. That’s what I came into politics for," he said.
"The journey to that point was not easy. Six years ago, I inherited a Labour Party that was politically, financially and morally bankrupt. I was told time and time again that my party was finished, that we were consigned to history, that a majority at the general election, let alone a landslide majority, was impossible."
"We proved those people wrong because we changed our party, ripping out the poison of antisemitism, restoring trust on the economy, defence and national security, and becoming a party that once again stood proudly with God against our national flag," Starmer said.
The Observer reported over the weekend that Starmer had "come up hard against the reality that the support isn't there".
"The truth is, everyone knows this is no longer a sustainable proposition. There's a sadness to it all, of course, but sometimes there's just an inevitability in politics and as Boris Johnson said: 'When the herd moves, it moves'," the report stated.
Meanwhile, former mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham is being seen as a possible successor to Starmer, with the number of MPs backing his leadership bid reportedly increasing after his victory in the Makerfield by-election last week.
With IANS inputs