Overview
- Keir Starmer announced his resignation on Monday, June 22 and will stay on as interim prime minister while Labour organises a leadership contest.
- Starmer has asked the party’s National Executive to open nominations starting 9 July with a reported closing window around 16 July.
- Andy Burnham confirmed he will run and is widely reported to have the support of about 200 Labour MPs, well above the roughly 81 needed to qualify.
- Labour rules require backing from 20% of its MPs plus organisational endorsements so a single candidate could be declared leader without a wider membership vote, or a contested process could stretch to September.
- The resignation follows heavy local and regional losses, economic and cost‑of‑living concerns and internal controversies that prompted senior ministers and around a hundred MPs to press for a change, which could shift party policy and reshape the fight with Reform UK.