Keir Starmer plans to step down as UK PM, but on own terms: Report

Keir Starmer has reportedly told close allies that he intends to step down as Prime Minister and announce a timeline for an orderly transition, amid growing turmoil within the Labour government and mounting pressure from senior party figures.

According to a Daily Mail report, citing Cabinet sources, Starmer has acknowledged that the “current chaos is unsustainable” and wants to manage his departure “in a dignified way and in a manner of his own choosing”.

One minister was quoted as saying, “He will set out a timetable.” However, there remains uncertainty within government circles over when any formal announcement could be made.

Some of Starmer’s allies are said to have urged him to delay any decision until polling and canvassing data from the upcoming Makerfield by-election become clearer.

According to one Cabinet source, Morgan McSweeney has advised the Prime Minister to “hang on”, arguing that a close contest or a possible defeat for Andy Burnham could still alter the political situation.

But another senior supporter of Starmer reportedly argued against waiting for the by-election result, saying, “He’s not going to take the risk of waiting for the result of the by-election. That would be too much of a personal humiliation.”

The source added that a Burnham victory could create the impression that Starmer had effectively been forced out.

The developments have also complicated Burnham’s reported attempt to return to Westminster through the Makerfield contest.

According to senior allies, members of Burnham’s camp believe it would be politically cleaner if Starmer remains in office during the by-election campaign.

One ally reportedly said Burnham wanted to campaign on the message: “If you vote for me I will go down to Westminster and drag him out of Downing Street for you.”

The report also quoted a spokesperson for the Burnham team saying they were “relaxed” about whether Keir Starmer announces a timetable for his departure. “That’s a matter for the PM. We’re concentrating on making Andy’s case for selection as the candidate for Makerfield,” the spokesperson said.

Another Burnham ally said the campaign did not want the message to become “complicated”, adding, “We don’t want the message to get complicated. It’s far simpler if we’re in a position to say, ‘You’re frustrated by the pace of change. Vote for Andy and you’ll see an immediate change at No 10’.”

Throughout the week, tensions reportedly escalated within Downing Street following resignations from junior ministers and internal criticism from senior Labour figures.

Reports said Starmer initially began discussing an “orderly way forward” with Cabinet colleagues before reacting angrily to briefings against him, particularly from allies of Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood.

One source claimed Starmer felt he was “trying to do the decent thing” while others were attempting to undermine him politically.

The pressure intensified after reports that senior Labour figures and advisers were privately lobbying MPs to support a leadership transition.

According to reports, Starmer’s allies believed ministers publicly backing him were simultaneously holding discussions with rival camps over future Cabinet roles.

“What really got to Keir was people were saying to him, ‘I’m still with you.’ Then they’d walk out and carry on actively co-ordinating with the plotters,” one minister reportedly said.

The situation worsened after Chancellor Rachel Reeves appeared to distance herself from Starmer during a Downing Street interview in which she highlighted funding decisions using the phrase “I’ve been able to put into the Health Service” rather than referring jointly to the Prime Minister and the government.

One Cabinet minister reportedly interpreted the remarks as evidence that “she’s decoupling from him.”

The same day, Health Secretary Wes Streeting resigned from the Cabinet, followed by reports that Labour MP Josh Simons would vacate the Makerfield seat to allow Burnham to return to Parliament.

One minister described the developments as “a body blow” for Downing Street.

According to reports, Starmer’s team later attempted to persuade Labour’s Executive Committee to block Burnham’s candidacy, but the effort failed after Deputy Labour leader Lucy Powell organised a rapid consultation process that concluded before Downing Street could intervene effectively.

A longtime associate of Starmer reportedly said the Prime Minister had previously believed he could politically survive repeated crises, describing him as “a cat with nine lives”. However, the source added that Starmer now appeared to accept that his “ninth, and final, life has at last been used up.”

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