Amid the political turmoil in the United Kingdom, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has reportedly told his inner circle that he is ready to “stand down”.
Citing a member of the cabinet, the Daily Mail UK reported that Starmer is ready to step down as prime minister but will “do it on his own terms.”
‘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,” the source told the UK-based outlet.
UK government in crisis mode
The UK Labour government found itself in a crisis amid growing voter dissatisfaction with the Starmer administration.
From the controversy surrounding the appointment of Peter Mandelson and his ties to child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, to the Labour Party’s poor performance in the local elections, calls for Starmer to resign have increased.
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The most recent hit came with the resignation of Wes Streeting, the former health secretary in the Starmer cabinet.
On Saturday, Streeting stated that he would move to challenge Starmer in any future Labour Party leadership contest, putting his hat in the ring for the post of prime minister.
During his speech, the former health secretary also urged Starmer to “set a schedule” for his departure.
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Starmer’s growing unpopularity
Adding to all this turmoil, Keir Starmer’s popularity ratings have also tanked. According to YouGov UK surveys, around 69 per cent of Britons have an “unfavourable” opinion of the Labour prime minister.
YouGov further reported that Starmer is currently the least popular prime minister on record, with many drawing comparisons to the 49 days of Liz Truss’ run as UK PM.
Furthermore, Starmer’s own party seems to be losing faith in his leadership. Many Labour MPs now fear that if Starmer’s unpopularity streak continues, it would endanger the chances of any future Labour government and may just push the country into the hands of the far-right led by Reform UK leader Nigel Farage.
