See who could replace Keir Starmer as UK prime minister UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced this Monday (22) that he will resign and that his replacement should be chosen starting July 9 to take over the government until Parliament returns in September. ✅ Follow g1's international news channel on WhatsApp Pressure against Starmer had been mounting for months and intensified further this week after Andy Burnham, Starmer's main Labour rival, won a seat in the British Parliament, paving the way for a challenge to the embattled premier's leadership. Victory rekindled hope among Labour lawmakers that Burnham, known for his communication skills, can revitalize the party, which lost support under Starmer's leadership. However, other figures from the English Labour Party, such as former Health Minister Wes Streeting, are also being floated. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announces he will resign See below who could fill the post of the British premier: Andy Burnham Andy Burnham, seated at a table with children, next to Keir Starmer PAUL ELLIS/Pool via REUTERS Burnham, 56, is the former mayor of Manchester, in northern England, and one of the Labour Party's most influential politicians. He had been barred from running for any leadership role because he was not a member of parliament, but managed to win a seat on Thursday (19), which increased pressure on Starmer. Burnham briefly served as Chief Secretary to the Treasury in the government of former Prime Minister Gordon Brown in the 2000s, and ran twice for the party leadership, losing by a wide margin to left-wing veteran Jeremy Corbyn in 2015. He became mayor of Manchester in 2017, but remains an influential figure for some center-left factions within the Labour Party, particularly those critical of Starmer's more centrist stance. He attempted to reassure investors, guaranteeing they would be safe under his economic vision, after being quoted as saying Britain needed to stop being "indebted to the bond market." He stated his comments were misinterpreted. Angela Rayner Angela Rayner between Keir Starmer and Andy Burnham PAUL ELLIS/Pool via REUTERS One of the party's most recognized figures, Rayner, 46, resigned as Deputy Prime Minister, Deputy Labour Leader, and Housing Secretary in 2025 after admitting she had paid less tax than she owed on a property purchase and was found guilty of breaching the ministerial code of conduct. The issue has not been fully resolved with authorities, which complicates any potential leadership bid.
Recently, she called for Burnham's return to parliament, which may indicate that she herself will not run. She is seen as closer to the party's trade union and left-wing roots than the centrist Starmer. When in office, she championed laws that expanded workers' rights, supported minimum wage increases, and called for greater public investment. Although publicly she agreed with Labour Party calls for fiscal restraint, media reports in May 2025, when she was still a minister, claimed she had advocated for higher taxes and, since leaving government, has called for "bold measures" to protect Britons from the effects of the war with Iran. Rayner grew up in relative poverty on a council estate in the town of Stockport, near Manchester.
A teenage mother, she worked as a carer and trade union official before entering parliament in 2015. She credits that experience with giving her an authentic understanding of the struggles faced by poorer Britons, and is considered by many in the Labour Party to be an effective communicator whose background allows her to reach segments of the party that Starmer — a Londoner and former human rights lawyer — cannot. Ed Miliband British Energy Secretary Ed Miliband REUTERS/Jack Taylor Energy Minister Miliband, 56, is one of the longest-serving ministers in Starmer's cabinet and has been linked to a potential return to the party leadership, following a previous stint in opposition between 2010 and 2015. He stated that experience "immunized" him against the desire to repeat the feat. He has been the government's chief champion for implementing net-zero energy policies. He previously served in government from 2006 to 2010 under the administrations of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, and defeated both his brother David and Burnham in the 2010 leadership election, offering a more center-left vision for the party than his centrist brother. Shabana Mahmood Shabana Mahmood Dan Kitwood/Pool via REUTERS A lawmaker since 2010, Mahmood, 45, rose quickly through the ministerial ranks and was promoted to Home Secretary in September, after having served as Justice Secretary.
She is the first Muslim woman to hold either position. Considered on the right of the party, she has championed a tougher stance on immigration, which she argues is essential to counter the right-wing Reform UK party and address voter concerns on the issue. However, critics argue her hardline stance means the Labour Party is losing the support of progressives who traditionally backed it for left-wing alternatives like the Greens. She is also unpopular with the party's left wing. Al Carns Recently elected in 2024, Junior Defence Minister Al Carns, 46, has been touted as an outside candidate who could prove popular among other first-term MPs wanting a fresh voice. He served in the Royal Marines and is an Afghanistan veteran, having advised several Conservative Party defense ministers on military affairs before entering politics. Last year, he was part of a team that scaled Mount Everest in under seven days, testing the use of xenon gas to help speed up acclimatization. Trending videos on g1.
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