UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer resigning: Reports

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is reportedly preparing to resign as Labour Party leader and step down from his position as Prime Minister amid mounting pressure following a catastrophic defeat in local elections and an escalating rebellion within the Labour Party.

According to the Daily Mail, which cited Cabinet sources, Starmer has accepted the political reality and is now discussing a potential timetable for an orderly departure . A government source told the newspaper, "He realises the current chaos is unsustainable. He simply wants to be able to do it in a dignified way and in a manner of his own choosing. He will set out a timetable" .

However, some of Starmer's senior allies are urging him to delay any announcement until after the Makerfield by-election on June 18. His former chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, has reportedly been advising the Prime Minister to "hang on," arguing that a tight contest could still offer a chance to regain momentum .

The political crisis
The crisis follows Labour's disastrous performance in local elections on May 7, where the party lost over 1,200 council seats in England and control of traditional strongholds . The populist Reform UK party, led by Nigel Farage, emerged as a major beneficiary.

More than 80 Labour MPs have publicly called for Starmer to resign or set a departure timetable . Four junior ministers resigned earlier in the week, and on May 14, Health Secretary Wes Streeting resigned, stating he had "lost confidence" in Starmer's leadership .

In his resignation letter, Streeting wrote, "Where we need vision, we have a vacuum. Where we need direction, we have drift," and implied that Starmer would not lead Labour into the next general election . Streeting has since announced he will challenge for the leadership if a contest is triggered .

According to YouGov, 69 per cent of Britons hold an unfavourable opinion of Starmer, making him one of the least popular prime ministers on record.

Downing Street has not issued an official response to the resignation reports, and Starmer earlier told cabinet ministers he intended to "get on with governing" .