British prime minister will leave office by September at the latest.
Matt Honeycombe-Foster
Starmer said Monday he had asked Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee to launch a leadership contest, with nominations open until July 9 and the race over by the summer parliamentary recess.
The aim is to have a new Labour leader in place by September — and Starmer said he will “remain in place until the contest is complete” and “ensure an orderly handover of power.” That timeline could be compressed if Burnham goes unchallenged.
Since coming to office with a commanding House of Commons majority in 2024, Starmer’s Labour government has repeatedly struggled to gain momentum. It suffered huge losses to Nigel Farage’s right-wing Reform UK in local elections, has been hit my multiple scandals, and Starmer has U-turned on a series of key policies in the face of pressure from his own ranks.
This developing story is being updated.
