Keir Starmer ‘set to resign tomorrow’ and set out orderly exit

Senior Labour figures have confirmed

According to The Observer, it is understood that Starmer has reached the conclusion that he can no longer hold his position at No 10, as he had conversations with cabinet ministers, Downing Street advisers, trade union leaders and party donors this week.

As per senior figures from the Labour Party, a “clear statement” could come as early as Monday, even though the PM is spending the weekend at Chequers talking his future over with his wife, Victoria.

Starmer would not “walk away” from No 10 creating a vacuum but would “arrange a deliberate slow march in good order, as a matter of duty and dignity”, according to one Labour peer who is close to the PM.

Impossible to stop the “chaos” by carrying on

“I think he sees the realities. Stopping ‘chaos’ (as he rightly put it) is now not possible by staying, so that only leaves one option. I think he has come to see it as the dutiful option to serve the country and the party”, the same source said.

According to another Labour source, Starmer now appeared “resigned” to stepping down, as “he’s come up hard against the reality that the support isn’t there”.

“The truth is everyone knows this is no longer a tenable proposition. There’s a sadness about it all, of course, but sometimes there’s just an inevitability in politics and as Boris Johnson said, ‘When the herd moves it moves’.”

Over recent days, following a series of highly personal conversations with his closest allies, Starmer was “calmly going through things”, a cabinet minister said.

The minister added: “He just wants to do what’s right for the country and, having spoken to the people he wants, he is now spending quality time with his most important adviser – Vic”.

Burnham to be sworn in on Monday

As he defied the odds to trounce Reform UK at last week’s byelection in the Greater Manchester seat, Burnham will be sworn in as an MP on Monday, while he is due to meet the prime minister early this week.

According to his supporters, if the prime minister does not step down voluntarily, he has now secured the support of more than 201 Labour MPs to challenge Starmer for the leadership.

And since this represents more than half the Parliamentary Labour party, this is a critical number as it means that Starmer can no longer tell the King that he is able to command the confidence of the House of Commons.

“There’s no doubt Andy is very significantly strengthened by the result on Thursday night. The question in MPs’ minds will be – who can stop a Reform government? He’s shown he can do that in Makerfield in a very emphatic manner” one senior Labour figure added.