Starmer latest news: PM expected to announce resignation plan as Burnham heads to Westminster

According to a report in Bloomberg, several cabinet ministers believe that Sir Keir Starmer has accepted that he will have to set out a timetable for his departure, and believe he will choose not to stand in any leadership election.

Some Starmer allies are trying to persuade him to set an exit date in September, arguing that Andy Burnham does not yet have a plan for power, the news outlet reported.

One long-standing ally of Starmer told Bloomberg that without a clear plan Mr Burnham could see his popularity wain within months and more internal fighting would begin within the Labour party.

With pressure building on the UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer to stand down, or at least set out a timetable for when he will leave office, here is a re-cap of everything that happened over the weekend:

• The Observer reported that Sir Keir will set out a timetable for his departure from Downing Street on Monday.
• Andy Burnham is understood to want to wait to become prime minister, with a delay until September, The Independent’s David Maddox reported.
• Business secretary Peter Kyle told broadcasters on Sunday that Sir Keir is considering “political realities” after Mr Burnham’s win in Makerfield.
• US president Donald Trump posted on Truth Social on Sunday that Sir Keir “will resign as prime minister”, despite the pair reportedly not speaking over the weekend.
• The BBC reported that foreign secretary Yvette Cooper has urged Sir Keir to set out a timetable to leave.

After a relatively quiet weekend where Andy Burnham took it easy after an arduous by-election campaign and Keir Starmer took stock of “the political realities”, as business secretary Peter Kyle put it, Monday is the day where everything finally comes to a head, writes Political Editor David Maddox.

At some point the dreaded Downing Street lectern is expected to be wheeled out and Sir Keir is going to muster his remaining dignity to announce that he will be stepping aside as Labour leader and prime minister.

The only question remaining is whether it will be a coronation for Andy Burnham or a contest with somebody like health secretary Wes Streeting. A coronation is certainly the favourite of the two options currently.

But it is worth taking stock that since 24 June 2016 when David Cameron had his lectern moment after losing the Brexit referendum, this will be the sixth prime minister in just under 10 years to announce they are leaving Downing Street because they are unable to govern.

Only Rishi Sunak in July 2024 did so after actually losing a general election while Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and now Keir Starmer have all been forced to leave early by their own MPs.

Astonishingly, Starmer is being forced to do it less than two years after winning Labour’s second biggest majority.

These events used to be called “historic” and no doubt someone will use that adjective to describe Sir Keir’s moment. But in truth it is becoming commonplace in British politics a long way from the days of Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair.

If the country is to thrive again it needs political stability and needs to find a prime minister who has the strength and ability to stay the course.

Monday will see Andy Burnham return to Westminster fresh from his victory in the Makerfield by-election. Labour MPs have been invited to a photo call with the former Greater Manchester mayor to celebrate Mr Burnham’s resounding victory over Reform UK.

Mr Burnham is reportedly keen to wait to become prime minister in September after summer recess rather than be crowned imminently. A delayed handover would allow Sir Keir Starmer “to secure his legacy”, one source told The Independent.

But some Labour MPs are anxious that the transfer of power takes place sooner, and have suggested as early as mid-July.

So what are the options ahead if Sir Keir announces his resignation on Monday? An Andy Burnham coronation or an open Labour leadership contest.

Sir Keir Starmer is understood to be discussing a plan to hand over the Labour leadership to Andy Burnham amid a growing belief that he will announce his timetable for departure on Monday.

The former Greater Manchester mayor is understood to want to wait to become prime minister until September and a delay would, according to a source, “allow the prime minister to secure his legacy.”

The source said that the prime minister is now “working towards” a handover in early September after the summer recess but MPs suggest it could be as early as mid-July.

Read the full story here:

US president Donald Trump has said that Sir Keir Starmer “will resign” as prime minister, accusing him of “failing badly” on immigration and energy.

Writing on social media platform Truth Social on Sunday, Mr Trump said: “Keir Starmer will resign as prime minister of the United Kingdom. He failed badly on two very important subjects – immigration and energy (Open North Sea oil!). I wish him well! President DJT”.

The post is thought to be based on media reports as the two have not spoken this weekend.

Sir Keir is not the only leader to face criticism from Mr Trump this weekend after he hit out at Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni on Saturday.

Mr Trump said that Ms Meloni was “doing poorly in Italy with her level of popularity”, and accused her of not supporting US efforts to prevent Iran “from obtaining or developing a nuclear weapon”.

Ms Meloni retaliated on Instagram, saying the US president’s “constant, unprovoked attacks” were “senseless”. She added: “As for my popularity, being your friend has certainly not helped it, nor does it depend on my relationship with you. My popularity is none of your concern. I suggest you focus on yours.”

Home Office minister Mike Tapp has said the change-over of British prime ministers has become “unsustainable” amid pressure on Sir Keir Starmer to set out a timetable to leave office on Monday.

Mr Tapp took to social media platform X on Sunday to call for a new law that would see a general election called if there is a change of prime minister.

He added to his comments, later saying: “We cannot continue as we are. There are many nuances to this but at the core we must remember that as politicians we are here to serve the country – and 6 (possibly 7) PMs in 10 years is unsustainable.

“We need to find a better balance and this conversation is important.”

If everything had gone according to Hasan Piker’s plan two weeks ago, he’d have no reason to talk to me.

He and his uncle – both controversial political commentators from the US – were barred from the UK earlier this month, so he’s sitting at a desk speaking via a video call, looking similar to how he spends most of his time, streaming eight hours a day, seven days a week, to 3.1 million followers on Twitch, writes Liam Murphy-Robledo.

No formal statement has been given on the decision, but the Home Office confirmed to The Guardian the two men’s entry into the country “may not be conducive to the public good”.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has said that she will not do an electoral deal with Reform UK’s Nigel Farage, insisting: “We are not the same, and voters are not ours to trade like football cards”.

Writing in The Mail on Sunday, Ms Badenoch said that “Reform dress like Thatcherites but act like Corbynites”, as she criticised Mr Farage’s party for “a bigger state, more spending, nationalisation, gimmicks, and unfunded giveaways”.

She said that “the way to stop Leftwing coalitions is to build a Conservative majority that reaches beyond the Right.”

She said that calls to “unite the right” were “really just a demand that Conservatives stand down and give Reform a free run because they can’t win a general election otherwise.”

Ms Badenoch insisted that the Conservatives can win the next general election.

As the prospect of Sir Keir Starmer’s resignation looms over the start of the coming week like the heatwave, one thing strikes me above all else. Whenever conversation does grudgingly turn to the prospect of a contest rather than a coronation for Andy Burnham, the key players are all men, writes Kat Brown.

Notwithstanding Labour’s glaringly obvious reluctance to vote for women in leadership contests, let alone get behind one as leader, this feels like the Starmer drama has caused memory leaks in the PLP.

I know a lot’s been going on, but let’s try and cast our minds back a whole five months to February, when Labour was in the grips of the Mandelson scandal. Starmer met with the Women’s PLP to “discuss” the boys’ club culture in his government that had factored in Peter Mandelson’s appointment. Harriet Harman told the PM he needed to “transform the political culture in government around women and girls”.

Starmer’s chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, eventually resigned over Mandelson’s appointment. Yet, just four months later, The i Paper reported three Government sources as saying he was back, advising Starmer over the phone. And on Friday week Baroness Harman was back to say what we really should all be thinking: “There must be a woman in the contest”, she told Radio 4’s Today programme. “We cannot have a male beauty parade again.”

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