PAKISTAN PERSPECTIVE

Islamabad, June 23, 2026. Keir Starmer's resignation, announced Monday June 22 outside 10 Downing Street, comes exactly one day before the tenth anniversary of the Brexit referendum vote—a timing that Pakistani media judges laden with meaning. Dawn, following the story in real time, headlines "a decade of chaos" and recalls the sequence: Cameron, May, Johnson, Truss, Sunak, Starmer, and now a seventh head of government in prospect. The daily notes that this pace is "unprecedented in modern political history" of the United Kingdom.

Starmer had won in July 2024 a crushing electoral victory after fourteen years of Labour opposition. Less than two years later, his approval ratings are described by Dawn as "the lowest for any British leader." The immediate trigger was Andy Burnham's victory in a by-election in the Makerfield constituency in northwestern England: the former mayor of Greater Manchester nearly doubled the Labour majority, sending an unambiguous signal to Westminster. Geo News reports that Burnham was sworn in as a Member of Parliament on Monday afternoon itself and traveled to London to begin the transition.

Internal pressure had been decisive. According to Dawn, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper reportedly called Starmer to step aside during a private conversation over the weekend—information reported by Sky News. Dozens of parliamentarians and several ministers were demanding behind the scenes a departure timeline. Starmer ultimately declared before the press: "The question my party is asking is whether I am best placed to lead them into the next general election. I have heard the answer. I accept it gracefully." He indicated he had informed King Charles III of his decision that morning.

Donald Trump took position on Truth Social by Sunday, asserting that Starmer "had failed on immigration and energy" and expressing a wish for his resignation—a comment picked up by Dawn and The Nation Pakistan, which note the informal interference of the American president in British domestic politics. Starmer will remain Prime Minister in an interim capacity until a new Labour leader is elected, expected before Parliament returns in September.

Burnham appears as near-unanimous favorite: Wes Streeting, former Health Secretary who had initially considered running, announced his support. The Nation Pakistan stresses, however, the structural risks awaiting any successor: borrowing costs among the highest in the G7, anemic growth, bond market pressure against any additional debt. Geo News recalls that Burnham has not yet clarified his positions on foreign policy, defense, or major economic balances.