UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Monday that he will stand down as Labour leader and prime minister, ending months of political turmoil and opening a contest to replace him, said media reports.

The announcement follows mounting pressure on the prime minister after Labour suffered heavy losses in local elections in May and faced an increasingly vocal rebellion from his own lawmakers over his leadership and policy agenda.

The move comes less than two years after Starmer led Labour to one of its largest parliamentary majorities in the 2024 general election.

In a statement outside 10 Downing Street shortly after 9:30 a.m. in London, Starmer said he would remain in his post until any leadership contest is completed.

According to sources, his resignation paves the way for what is expected to be an orderly transfer of power to frontrunner Andy Burnham, who could become Britain’s seventh leader in 10 years as early as next month.

In an emotional speech, Starmer said he had listened to his governing Labour Party and realised that he was no longer the man who should lead it into a national election due in 2029.

Burnham, a 56-year-old career politician, quickly won the support of another potential leadership rival, former health minister Wes Streeting, with one Labour lawmaker saying it was more likely the former mayor would now be installed as leader. 

He entered parliament to cheers from Labour lawmakers, and the odd heckle from the opposition, including one person who shouted out: “He’s not the Messiah.” He then pledged allegiance to King Charles to take his place as a lawmaker, a necessary step to be able to become the new leader of Labour and Britain.