London, June 22 (IANS) Keir Starmer on Monday announced that he is stepping down as the British Prime Minister and leader of the governing Labour Party. Making a statement outside 10 Downing Street, Starmer said that he will however remain in post as Prime Minister until a new Labour leader is chosen in the coming weeks. "The question my party is asking now is whether I am best placed to lead us into the next general election. I have heard the answer of my parliamentary party to that question, and I accept that answer with good grace. Every decision I’ve taken has been about putting the country I love first. That is why I will resign as leader of the Labour party. I have spoken to His Majesty the King this morning to inform him of my decision," said Starmer.

After having led the Labour party to a massive election win in July 2024, the first in 14 years, Starmer has been facing criticism for the policies adopted by his government. Starmer, however, said on Monday that he aimed to change Britain for the better and to build a fairer country with dignity and respect, where everyone is seen, everyone is valued and wealth and opportunity is available to all, not just the privileged few.

"A page in our country’s history turned after years of disappointment and despair, the chance to change the lives of millions of people for the better. That’s what I came into politics for. The journey to that point was not easy. Six years ago, I inherited a Labour party that was politically, financially and morally bankrupt. "I was told time and time again that my party was finished, that we were consigned to history, that a majority at the general election, let alone a landslide majority, was impossible. We proved those people wrong because we changed our party, ripping out the poison of antisemitism, restoring trust on the economy, defence and national security, and becoming a party that once again stood proudly with God against our national flag," he said on Monday.

Starmer "has come up hard against the reality that the support isn't there", the Observer reported over the weekend. "The truth is, everyone knows this is no longer a sustainable proposition. There's a sadness to it all, of course, but sometimes there's just an inevitability in politics and as Boris Johnson said: 'When the herd moves, it moves'," it mentioned. It is anticipated that Andy Burnham could replace Starmer as the country's next PM with the number of MPs supporting him for the Labour leadership having increased after his victory in the Makerfield by-election last week.

--IANS