The Sixth British PM to Fall Since Brexit
Ishtiaq Ahmed
Bradford: The resignation of Sir Keir Starmer makes him the sixth British Prime Minister to leave office in the decade since the Brexit referendum, highlighting a period of extraordinary political instability in what is often described as the world’s oldest continuous democracy.
Since 2016, Britain has witnessed an unprecedented turnover of leaders. David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, and now Sir Keir Starmer have all been forced from office before completing their political tenures.
Rishi Sunak, meanwhile, was swept from power after leading the Conservatives to one of their worst electoral defeats in modern history.
Starmer’s departure had been anticipated for months, but the decisive blow came after Labour’s dismal performance in the recent local elections. Traditional Labour strongholds saw significant gains by Reform UK, the party that emerged from the Brexit movement and has built its support around opposition to immigration and a strongly nationalist political platform.
he scale of Labour’s losses intensified pressure on Starmer from within his own party and raised serious questions about his ability to lead Labour into the next general election.
The political turmoil of the Brexit era has now claimed six prime ministers. Cameron resigned after losing the Brexit referendum he had called. May failed to secure parliamentary support for her Brexit deal.
Johnson was forced out following a series of scandals and ministerial resignations. Truss lasted only weeks after her economic programme triggered financial turmoil. Sunak was defeated decisively at the ballot box. Starmer has now become the latest casualty of Britain’s increasingly volatile political landscape.
Sunak’s defeat in the general election handed Labour a commanding parliamentary majority and gave Starmer a seemingly secure mandate. Yet even such a large majority proved insufficient to guarantee political survival. As dissatisfaction within Labour grew, many MPs reportedly came to view him as an electoral liability rather than an asset.
Several factors contributed to Starmer’s downfall. His unwavering support for Israeli policy of Genocide In Gaza that generated widespread criticism and alienated many traditional Labour supporters, particularly within Britain’s Muslim communities.
Disillusionment among Muslim voters led to growing support for independent candidates in local elections, weakening Labour’s electoral coalition.
Economic concerns also played a significant role. Despite Labour’s promises of renewal, many voters continued to feel that Britain remained trapped in economic stagnation, with living standards under pressure and growth remaining weak.
Critics argued that the government had failed to offer a convincing vision for reversing the country’s long-term economic decline.
Foreign policy further complicated Starmer’s position. His approach to relations with the United States, Israel, and the wider Middle East attracted criticism.
Many particularly on the right of the political spectrum take the view that his stance on Iran and his differences with the President Donald Trump damaged Britain’s diplomatic influence.
At the same time, Reform UK successfully capitalised on public frustration over immigration, economic uncertainty, and disillusionment with mainstream politics. The party made significant gains in local government, capturing councils that had long been regarded as Labour territory while also pushing the Conservatives into third place in many areas.
In his resignation speech, Starmer pointed to Labour’s landslide victory in the July 2024 general election as his greatest political achievement. Implicit in that message was the argument that he had not been given sufficient time to complete the task of government.
He reminded supporters that when he became Labour leader in 2020, he inherited a party that was, in his words, “politically, financially and morally bankrupt.” He noted that many commentators had repeatedly declared Labour finished after its catastrophic defeat in 2019.
Whatever his shortcomings as Prime Minister, Starmer wishes history to remember him as undeniably a successful opposition leader who rebuilt Labour from one of the darkest periods in its modern history and restored it to power after years of internal division and electoral failure.
In his farewell remarks, Starmer said , “Every decision I’ve taken has been about putting the country I love first.”
He revealed that the decision to step down had been reached after a difficult weekend of reflection at Chequers, the Prime Minister’s country residence. The conclusion, he said, was that it was time to leave office with dignity.
Perhaps the most revealing moment of his resignation speech came when he addressed the question that had increasingly dominated Labour politics: whether he remained the best person to lead the party into the next election.
His response was “ I have heard the answer of my parliamentary party to that question,” he said. “And I accept that answer with good grace.”
Those words appeared to capture the essence of Starmer’s downfall. The confidence of his MPs had evaporated.
While he could have attempted to remain in office, doing so would likely have triggered a prolonged period of internal conflict, ministerial resignations, and political paralysis.
The disappointing local election results, combined with the growing prominence of potential successors such as Andy Burnham, ultimately made his position untenable.
What had once appeared to be a dominant premiership ended in the same manner as so many others during the post Brexit era: under relentless pressure from political events and party colleagues alike.
Sir Keir Starmer will remain Prime Minister until Labour elects a successor, a process that could be completed as early as next month. His resignation marks another chapter in a remarkable decade of political upheaval, reinforcing the sense that Brexit continues to cast a long shadow over British politics.
