Starmer’s Out

I despise the man. I think what he's done to the UK over the past 24 months is unforgivable. But I've never said that "things can't get worse than having Keir Starmer as Prime Minister." Because they surely can.

Keir Starmer announced this morning that he's going to resign as leader of the Labour Party. This will create a vacancy, not only for that position but also for that of UK Prime Minister, since the Labour Party secured a historic mandate in 2024, winning 411 (63 percent) of Parliament's 650 seats, while securing a mere 33.7 percent of the popular vote. (Hold also in your mind—in true Scott Fitzgerald fashion—the fact that many UK politicians and pundits deem themselves mystified by the concept of the US Electoral College system because it doesn't necessarily secure for the country's leadership the individual who won the national popular vote. But I digress...)

I must admit that, were I Keir Starmer, I'd have been out tomorrow afternoon, with a message to Whitehall and my party that essentially said: "You asked for it. You got it. I'm outta here. See ya. Wouldn't wanna be ya."

But Starmer is sticking around (he says) for now, until the party leadership process has churned its churn, and a new leader has been selected.

The current frontrunner (and apparently, if you believe the oddsmakers, due to be crowned soon) is former Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham. His ascent to the (prospective) position highlights the corruption of a once great political system in ways that—as Donald Trump might say—"no one has ever seen before."

January 2026: Popular Manchester Mayor (and former Member of Parliament) Andy Burnham announced his intention to run for, and re-enter, Parliament when the "Gorton and Denton" seat was left vacant by its incumbent due to serious health issues. Locals pitched a fit because they'd then have to have a mayoral election which some feared would be won by the Reform Party on the Right. The Labour Party's National Executive Committee nixed Burnham's run (allegedly after input from Starmer and his allies) on the grounds that Burnham would pose an unacceptable challenge to Starmer's leadership. The seat was subsequently won by the Green Party candidate, a person Burnham had defeated in the last mayoral election by almost 400,000 votes. The Labour Party candidate who was eventually allowed to run in this election was Angeliki Stogia, a native of Greece. She came in third to the eventual Green Party winner and the second-place Reform candidate.

Then came the 2026 nationwide local elections, in May of 2026, in which the Labour Party was absolutely humiliated.

And then a rethink about Andy Burnham, more criticism of Starmer's leadership (no matter how much there is, it's never enough), and finally...

...some poor stooge in a constituency fairly close to Burnham's native Manchester was forced to resign (no doubt he'll be rewarded at some point in the future), for the sole purpose of creating a parliamentary vacancy and necessitating a by-election (the US would call it a "special election") for the seat. This time, Andy Burnham was allowed to run.

He prevailed, winning 25,000 votes and 55% of the total number of votes cast four days ago, on Thursday, June 18, 2026. On Friday, Keir Starmer insisted "[he wasn't] going anywhere."

Today, after frantic weekend phone calls to his "supporters" and members of his Cabinet, almost all of whom were rock-solid in their support until a week or so ago, but who have abandoned the sinking ship like the rats they are, Starmer threw in the towel. I could almost feel sorry for the man. Almost. And I can't think of an uglier ousting of a Prime Minister in my lifetime, and that includes those of Maggie Thatcher, Boris Johnson, and Liz Truss.

What happens now?

Lord knows. Early this morning, the coronation seemed to be proceeding apace. Now, the Telegraph says that Starmer Allies Move to Stop Burnham Coronation. First off, I didn't know there were any "Starmer Allies" left. Second, I haven't a clue who the 39-year-old who's thrown himself into the breach—Darren Jones—actually is.

But perhaps there will be more. Get out the popcorn.

In the meantime, I'll just observe that Burnham is what used to be called "a pig in a poke" (a reference that's probably religiously and culturally triggering these days, so I've included the link if you want to look it up). Sure, he was an MP previously, and even served in Gordon Brown's cabinet, but no-one in Britain has a bloody clue what Burnham thinks of Iran, Ukraine, China, Russia or—God forbid—the United States, so "all aboard the mystery bus" and here we go, all because Andy Burnham got 25,000 votes in what was a manufactured and "safe" seat for him and the party.

Personally, I have no idea what Andy Burnham is supposed to have going for him. Other than the fact that he's not Angela Rayner.

I suppose there is that.