Home · World · Sep 1 archive
Former UK PM Keir Starmer Announces MP Resignation
Confirmed

Former British prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has announced he will resign as an MP and trigger a by-election in his North London electorate. Since he resigned as prime minister in July, there was speculation over whether Sir Keir would stay on as MP Former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has announced he is to stand down as an MP to focus on a role in international affairs.
Sir Keir became prime minister after winning a landslide majority at the 2024 election, but quit No 10 after pressure from Labour MPs to stand aside. Sir Keir announced his resignation from the top job in June and was replaced by Mr Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester, the next month after a leadership contest.
His decision, initially announced to a local paper in his constituency, comes just over a month after he was replaced by Andy Burnham as Labour leader and prime minister. Starmer said on Tuesday that it was the “right time” to resign as the MP for the Holborn and St Pancras seat in North London after 11 years, triggering a by-election.
Sir Keir, who left Downing Street in July, had previously said he would stay on as an MP until the next UK general election, which is not due until 2029. Starmer comfortably kept his seat in the 2024 election with a majority of over 11,500 votes, though Andrew Feinstein , an independent candidate who campaigned primarily around his opposition to Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza and Labour’s support for it, took nearly 19 percent of ballots.
In a statement initially given to the Camden New Journal, which covers his Holborn and St Pancras constituency in North London, and later published on his X, Sir Keir said he wanted to "pass the baton to a successor". Holborn and St Pancras has long been a Labour stronghold, with Sir Keir securing a more than 11,000-vote majority at the last general election in 2024.
But in a surprise statement hours before his successor Andy Burnham made his debut in the House of Commons, he said he was resigning to work on issues such as international affairs and violence against women and girls.

What's confirmed
- Former British prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has announced he will resign as an MP and trigger a by-election in his North London electorate.
- Sir Keir, who left Downing Street in July, had previously said he would stay on as an MP until the next UK general election, which is not due until 2029.
- Since he resigned as prime minister in July, there was speculation over whether Sir Keir would stay on as MP Former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has announced he is to stand down as an MP to focus on a role in…
What's still developing
- His decision, initially announced to a local paper in his constituency, comes just over a month after he was replaced by Andy Burnham as Labour leader and prime minister.
- Sir Keir announced his resignation from the top job in June and was replaced by Mr Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester, the next month after a leadership contest.
- In a statement initially given to the Camden New Journal, which covers his Holborn and St Pancras constituency in North London, and later published on his X, Sir Keir said he wanted to "pass the baton to a successor".
- Starmer said on Tuesday that it was the “right time” to resign as the MP for the Holborn and St Pancras seat in North London after 11 years, triggering a by-election.
- Starmer comfortably kept his seat in the 2024 election with a majority of over 11,500 votes, though Andrew Feinstein , an independent candidate who campaigned primarily around his opposition to Israel’s genocidal war…
- But in a surprise statement hours before his successor Andy Burnham made his debut in the House of Commons, he said he was resigning to work on issues such as international affairs and violence against women and girls.
- Sir Keir became prime minister after winning a landslide majority at the 2024 election, but quit No 10 after pressure from Labour MPs to stand aside.
- Holborn and St Pancras has long been a Labour stronghold, with Sir Keir securing a more than 11,000-vote majority at the last general election in 2024.
