Keir Starmer, the British Prime Minister, revealed on Monday his decision to step down as the head of the ruling Labour Party. His resignation means he will also relinquish his role as the leader of the country.

For weeks, pressure mounted on Starmer to resign. His decision followed an indication from a political contender within the Labour Party, former Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, who expressed his intention to challenge Starmer for the position. Despite initially pledging to remain in office, Starmer faced a growing consensus among his colleagues that his term was ending sooner than anticipated.

The timeline for Starmer’s departure accelerated when Burnham stepped down as mayor. He secured a seat in Parliament, a crucial step as UK prime ministers are traditionally selected from active House of Commons members.

This marks the conclusion of Starmer’s challenging tenure, occurring less than two years after Labour’s significant election triumph and shortly after public dissatisfaction in recent local elections. Outside his official residence at 10 Downing Street, Starmer highlighted the achievements during his time in office. He acknowledged the questioning voices within his party about his suitability to lead them into future elections, stating, “The question my party is asking now is whether I am best placed to lead us into the next election. I have heard the answer… and I accept that answer with good grace. Every decision I have made has been about putting the country first.”

As he concluded his remarks, Starmer, appearing emotional, mentioned his children, who he referred to as his “pride and joy.”

This is a developing story.