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Live reaction from MPs and party figures as Starmer announces resignation

Photo: Sean Aidan Calderbank/Shutterstock

Labour figures from across the party have paid tribute to Keir Starmer after his announcement that he will resign as Prime Minister and Labour leader.

It comes after Starmer faced months of mounting pressure over his leadership, including over the Mandelson saga and a set of dismal local and devolved election results for the party.

Refresh this page for the latest reaction from MPs, party figures and factions.

11.50am: Statement from Andy Burnham

Andy Burnham, the favourite to succeed Keir Starmer as Prime Minister, has confirmed he will put himself forward to become Labour leader and said the transition must be a “positive process of renewal for our party and our country”.

He said: “Keir has given huge service to our country and I want to thank him for his leadership and dedication during such a challenging period.

“His decision marks the beginning of a transition and it is important that this process is conducted in an orderly and responsible way. I will put myself forward as part of this process.

“The country expects stability, seriousness and a continued focus on the issues that matter most and that is what it will get.

“As we move forward, our priority must be to work together to get the country back to where we all want it to be. People want to see progress on economic growth, cost of living, public services, housing and opportunities for the next generation. Political change should never distract from the responsibility to improve people’s lives.

“The Labour movement has always been at its strongest when it looks forward with confidence and purpose. This is what we will do from here and we will make sure this transition is a positive process of renewal for our party and our country.”

11.45am: ‘Labour must redouble efforts to deliver bold and credible change’

Responding to news of Keir Starmer’s resignation, Energy Security Secretary Ed Miliband said that Labour must “redouble our efforts to deliver the bold and credible change that the British people deserve”.

He also praised the Prime Minister and said: “Keir Starmer can be immensely proud of his achievements in bringing Labour back to power and leading two years in Government to make Britain a fairer, stronger country.

“Today’s statement showed the great dignity and integrity that is the mark of the man.

“Keir has made an enormous contribution to public service throughout his career, and we all owe him a debt of gratitude.”

11.40am: ‘Labour must not forget lessons of defeats’

Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones was among those standing in Downing Street as Keir Starmer delivered his resignation announcement.

Jones said: “Keir Starmer brought our Labour Party back from the brink into government after 14 years in opposition. He did so because the public trusted us on the economy and on national security, and because they voted for our manifesto.

“My party mustn’t forget the lessons of our successive defeats, and must remember why and how we won only two years ago. Whatever happens next, we can be grateful for Keir Starmer’s leadership and the work his government has done to put Britain back on a path to a brighter future.”

11.35am: ‘Starmer squandered hope placed in us’

Socialist Campaign Group secretary and MP for Leeds East Richard Burgon has been damning about Keir Starmer’s legacy, accusing him of opening the door to a Reform government. Burgon called for the next leader to “deliver real Labour values with policies that show we are on the side of ordinary people”.

11.30am: Streeting will not stand as leadership candidate

Former Health Secretary Wes Streeting will no longer stand to become Labour leader and has endorsed Andy Burnham to succeed Keir Starmer.

Starmer announced he will resign as party leader and Prime Minister in a statement outside Number 10 this morning, with nominations for a leadership contest set to open on July 9.

Streeting had in recent weeks been clear that he would stand in such a contest and had the backing of 81 MPs to be a candidate in such a race.

However, in a statement, Streeting said that Labour should “roll up our sleeves and help deliver the change our party and country needs”, instead of spending the summer “exaggerating small differences”.

Read more here.

11.10am: ‘We owe PM a huge debt of gratitude’

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has joined tributes to Keir Starmer following his resignation announcement.

She said: “Keir Starmer has changed our party and our country for the better.

“He brought Labour back from electoral oblivion, has restored our reputation abroad, stabilised the economy and will lift half a million children out of poverty. We owe a Keir a huge debt of gratitude.”

11.05am: Potential leadership contender weighs in

Al Carns, former veterans minister and touted as a potential contender in a leadership contest, has said the Prime Minister has “done the right thing” and shown “courage” by announcing his resignation.

He said: “The Labour Party now has an important job to do. The country is watching to see if we can get our act together and focus on the work we were elected to do. That’s where my focus is now.

“We have the ideas, we have the talent, but we need the courage and leadership to deliver them. That’s what comes next.”

11.00am: ‘Incredibly conflicted’

Cardiff West MP Alex Barros-Curtis said he feels “incredibly conflicted” by Keir Starmer’s announcement that he will resign as Prime Minister and Labour leader.

“Conflicted because I will always remain hopeful about a Labour Government and what it can deliver for the country. And conflicted also because I am incredibly sad that Keir has announced his resignation.

“I was proud to serve Keir, first on his leadership campaign, then in the Labour Party, and now proudly as the Member of Parliament for Cardiff West.

“Today, Keir has done an incredibly graceful, brave and decent thing in announcing he will step aside so that this Labour Government can get on with doing the work of government. I respect his decision.”

10.50am: Statement from Deputy Leader Lucy Powell

MP and deputy Labour leader Lucy Powell has joined tributes to the Prime Minister and urged the party to come together and “show the country that we can do orderly transition well”.

She said: “As a Party, we owe Keir Starmer a huge amount. He made us electable again, and led us to a landslide election win only two years ago. He has overseen important achievements since then.

“I have seen up close a man who loves his country, with a deep sense of public service and duty. That character has re-set our standing on the world stage.

“He has announced his resignation with dignity, putting the country’s interest first. I thank Keir for all that he has done for our Party and country.

“We must now come together as a Party, choose a new leader, and show the country that we can do orderly transition well. That requires us to all behave with respect and humility, and show the best of ourselves.

“We have to show that mainstream progressive politics can change people’s lives for the better, and is up to the task of the challenges we all face. If we fail the consequences for democracy and the country are great and dangerous. The NEC will shortly set out the process.”

10.45am: ‘Labour and country owes great deal to Starmer’

Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said: “The Labour Party and the country owes a great deal to Keir Starmer. Brought Labour back from its worst result in living memory. Won a majority at a general election which history shows does not happen often for Labour leaders. And led the country through difficult times.”

10.40am: Thoughts from one of first MPs to call for Starmer to quit

Peter Lamb, MP for Crawley, was one of the first Labour MPs to call for the Prime Minister to resign. However, he said despite that “I can’t claim this isn’t a sad moment”.

“All of us in the movement invested a lot in him succeeding, even where we had our doubts, and there is no question he sacrificed a lot of get Labour back into office.”

Lamb posted a non-exhaustive list of what he thinks went wrong with Starmer’s premiership in order to “learn from what went wrong quickly”; ranging from ruling out too much, a lack of factional diversity in the party’s candidates and on the government frontbench, poorly thought out policies that were later reversed, and a lack of personal responsbility when mistakes were made.

10.35am: Sadiq Khan: ‘Keir a man of great integrity’

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has joined tributes to his friend and colleague of three decades, praising his contribution to the party and the country.

Looking towards the question about the party’s future leadership, he said: “We still have more than half of this parliamentary term left, with a huge mandate. The local election results showed that people are impatient for the change that was promised and a Labour government that holds firm to the progressive values our party was established to promote. This should be the focus of the next Prime Minister.

“It’s also crucial that the new Labour leader invests in every part of the UK. This includes London, which is central to delivering for the rest of the country. We must use the potential of our capital to boost the national economy and raise living standards – for the benefit of Londoners and people right across the country.”

10.30am: ‘Country first, as always’

Paisley and Renfrewshire North MP Alison Taylor described Starmer as “dignified, gracious, humble [and] caring” and said he had put “country first, as always” in resigning as Prime Minister.

She said: “Thank you Keir Starmer for everything you have done for Labour and the country. Both you and Victoria can be very proud of all you have achieved, especially at the most difficult moment.”

10.25am: ‘I’m proud of Keir Starmer’

Bolsover MP and safeguarding minister Natalie Fleet said she is proud of the Prime Minister and was proud to have been elected on his manifesto and serve in his government.

She said: “I will never forget the moment the PM took my hand and said: ‘I’m proud of you, I hope you are proud of you too’.

“I am proud of him. Proud to have been elected on his manifesto, and serve as part of his government. Thank you, Prime Minister.”

10.20am: ‘Labour has chance to turn a corner’

Centre-left faction Mainstream, backed by Andy Burnham, has said that Labour has the chance to turn a corner after Starmer’s resignation – but that it is the party’s final chance.

In a statement, Mainstream’s interim council said: “The Labour Party now has a chance to turn a corner and make good on our 2024 promise of ‘change’.

“But we must be clear: this is our final chance. What comes next must be a genuinely transformative political project. It must be bold in its offer to the country, and resolutely opposed to the internal culture of insularity and factionalism that has taken Labour to this point.

“We will be consulting our members about what they would like to see happen next.”

10.15am: ‘Starmer failed to deliver real change’

Left-wing organisation Momentum has few warm words as it reflects on the Prime Minister and his time in office.

Momentum co-chair Alex Charilaou said: “We welcome Keir Starmer’s resignation as Prime Minister. His government has failed to deliver real change, attacked party democracy, failed to shift power in the economy to working people and refused to unequivocally condemn the genocide in Gaza.

“The next stage of this process must be a frank and open discussion across the broad spectrum of the Labour Party on where we’ve gone wrong, and what needs be changed.”

10am: ‘I’m sorry that the nature of politics is so impatient’

Chair of the Labour Party and MP for Redcar has written to the Prime Minister conveying her sorrow at his resignation.

She praised him for leading Labour into an historic win and for “giving us the opportunity to throw off the Tory yoke of inequality, isolationism, crippling austerity and corruption on behalf of the people we represent”.

Addressing his departure as leader and Prime Minister, Turley wrote: “I’m sorry that the nature of politics now is so impatient, so unforgiving and so personally brutal. You have shown that in a world of easy promises, irresponsible rhetoric and lazy, dangerous populism, it is still possible to do things the right way – to show duty, decency and the real patriotism of hard work and service.”


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Tags: Parliament / Labour Party / MPs / Labour / Rachel Reeves / Government / Politics / Downing Street / prime Minister / Chancellor / House of Commons / Keir Starmer / PM / UK politics / UK Labour Party /
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