UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced that he is stepping down as both Prime Minister and leader of the Labour Party, according to a statement delivered outside 10 Downing Street.

In an emotional address, Starmer said his party had been questioning whether he was “best placed to lead us into the next general election,” adding: “I have heard the answer.”

He said every decision taken during his time in office had been made with the aim of “putting the country I love first,” and thanked his supporters and colleagues for their backing.

Visibly moved, Starmer also paid tribute to his family, describing his wife Vic as his “rock,” and saying he hoped to remain “the best dad I can to my beautiful children.”

Starmer said he would remain in post until the Labour Party selects a new leader, and confirmed he has asked the party’s governing body to complete the leadership transition “before Parliament returns in September.”

The process now places the party on a fast-tracked internal timetable to determine his successor as both party leader and head of government.

Attention has already turned to potential candidates to replace him, including senior Labour figure Andy Burnham, who is expected in Westminster today to be sworn in as MP for Makerfield after winning a by-election last week.

Other senior Labour figures are also expected to be drawn into discussions as the party prepares for an internal leadership contest in the coming weeks.

No additional official statement has clarified the immediate operational details of the transition beyond Starmer’s remarks. Government departments are expected to continue functioning under existing arrangements until a formal leadership handover is completed.

Political analysts say the coming days are likely to be decisive for Labour as it manages both government continuity and the internal leadership selection process, ahead of Parliament’s return in September. (ILKHA)