Former British prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has announced he will resign as a member of Parliament, triggering a by-election in his North London constituency of Holborn and St Pancras.
The decision, first reported by the Camden New Journal and later shared on his X account, comes just over a month after he was replaced as Labour leader and prime minister by Andy Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester.
Starmer led Labour to a landslide general election victory in July 2024, but his tenure was marked by declining popularity. He announced his resignation as prime minister in June and was succeeded by Burnham the following month after a leadership contest.
In his resignation statement, Starmer said he wanted to "pass the baton to a successor." He explained he would now focus on international affairs, including defence, security, trade and technology, as well as continuing work on combating violence against women and girls.
"I will now focus on other things and that will be international affairs including defence, security, trade and technology in a fast-changing world," he said. "I will also continue, as I have done for a long time now with others, work on combating violence against women and girls; that is an issue that matters to me hugely."
Starmer also told the Camden New Journal that representing the constituency for 11 years had been a "huge honour and privilege."
He had previously said he would remain as an MP until the next general election, which is not due until 2029. The surprise announcement came on the same day Burnham was due to make his first statement to the House of Commons as prime minister.
Burnham paid tribute to his predecessor, highlighting Starmer's work with Ukraine and the Hillsborough Law, which is designed to improve accountability of public officials and is currently going through Parliament.
"He has given this country a lifetime of public service, particularly for those fighting for justice," Burnham said. "His leadership took our party from one of its worst defeats to its best victories and created a platform to change this country for the better. We will use it well, and we wish his family the very best for the future."
Starmer became an MP in 2015 after a legal career in which he served as the UK's Director of Public Prosecutions and head of the Crown Prosecution Service. He took over the Labour leadership after a disastrous election defeat under Jeremy Corbyn in 2019 and steered the party back towards the political centre.
As opposition leader, he challenged Conservative prime ministers Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak. His time in government was tested by voter frustration over the cost of living, the appointment of Peter Mandelson as UK ambassador to Washington despite alleged links to Jeffrey Epstein, and changes to UK welfare policy. His tenure also included continued British support for Ukraine and the renationalisation of railways.
An attempted arson attack on Starmer's private residence occurred during his premiership, but he did not reference the incident in his resignation statement.