LONDON — United Kingdom's Prime Minister Keir Starmer was expected to resign on Monday and set out a timetable for his departure, according to The Observer, a local newspaper.
However, UK Business Secretary Peter Kyle said on Sunday that the news of Starmer's quitting is speculation. He added that Starmer is "making time to reflect on the political realities, challenges and opportunities that he finds himself in".
The threat to Starmer's position, which has been building for months, increased sharply on Friday when his rival Andy Burnham won a seat in Parliament that would allow him to launch a formal leadership challenge.
The Observer, which did not name its sources, said Starmer had reached the conclusion that his position was no longer tenable after speaking to cabinet ministers, advisers, donors and trade union leaders.
Starmer led the center-left Labour Party to a landslide election win in 2024 but has become deeply unpopular after a series of scandals and policy U-turns that have given many voters an impression that he cannot deliver on improving their standards of living that he promised.
