United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to step down from the post on Monday, June 22, after facing increasing criticism from his own party and cabinet, and a challenge from his party colleague and rival Andy Burnham, who just won his way to the UK parliament with a thumping majority. This complete turnaround of Starmer’s leadership comes just two years after he led the Labour Party to a landslide victory in the UK after 14 years of not being in power.The calls keir Starmer is facing to resign as UK PM are mostly from his own party MPs and cabinet members (File Photo/AFP)Whether Starmer will give into the pressure and resign or fight the challenge against Burnham is still uncertain, he is mulling his decision and options while spending the weekend at Chequers, UK PM’s country mansion.Most reports of Starmer stepping down come from statements and intentions made clear by some of his cabinet members, fellow party MPs and those aware of the developments, but not directly by him. In fact, before leaving for Chequers, on Friday, Starmer said, “I have said repeatedly, I am not going to walk away. Let’s pull together as a party and a movement.”Also read: 54 injured, 18 missing after major explosion at Qatar's Ras Laffan natural gas hubIf Starmer decides to step down now, the UK would be on path to get its seventh Prime Minister in a decade.Here’s what we know so far -A challenge from Andy BurnhamThe person most expected to replace Starmer is Labour Party’s Andy Burnham, whose thumping victory in a special election in Makerfield on Friday cleared the path for him to challenge the Prime Minister. The victory also reportedly triggered discussions between Starmer and his allies about whether he could win a challenge against Burnham or not.What puts more pressure on Starmer is the magnitude of Burnham’s victory in the byelection, where he comfortably defeated candidate Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party and also Restore Britain, with around 10,000 more votes than both of these parties combined.Several Labour Party MPs believe that Burnham is the right candidate to take on Farage in the 2029 general elections.However, it remains uncertain whether Burnham would win power through coronation or a leadership challenge, a decision which is up to Labour MPs. Starmer’s health secretary, Wes Streeting, who resigned last month as he lost faith in Starmer’s leadership, has hinted that he would run if there is a leadership contest.Also read: Australia makes largest-ever drug bust as police seize 2.7 tonnes of cocaine from underground bunkersOwn party turning on himThe calls Starmer is facing to resign are mostly from his own party MPs and cabinet members, who have grown dissatisfied with his authority and leadership. This was particularly triggered by the Labour Party’s crushing electoral defeats in a series of elections in May.Since, UK’s transport secretary Heidi Alexander, foreign secretary Yvette Cooper, home secretary Shabana Mahmood, energy secretary Ed Miliband have urged Starmer to work on a timeline for his exit or resign immediately, BBC reported. Several other MPs have also made similar demands.A cabinet minister, who was ready to resign, said on Sunday, “There was a view that resignations would be required if Keir’s public view – that he’d fight any challenge – remained his private view. But in the last 12 to 14 hours, a shift appears to have taken place in his mind. No one wants rolling resignations,” reported the Guardian.Also read: Scandals, rebellions, setbacks: UK PM Keir Starmer pushed to brink of resignationStarmer mulling ‘political realities’Speculations about whether Starmer would resign or not took a stern turn after his business secretary Peter Kyle said on Sunday that the Prime Minister was reflecting on “political realities”.“He has been engaging conversations with a wide, wide range of people, including myself. As well as working really hard over this weekend. I think he is making time to reflect on the political realities, challenges, and opportunities that he finds himself in,” he told Sky News on Sunday.In another interview to BBC, Kyle confirmed that there was a clear threat to Starmer’s leadership and said, “I don’t want to come on here and be delusional that there is no process, there are no forces at work which are challenging the prime minister as leader – that is clearly the case.”Trump says ‘Starmer will resign’Amid all the drama unfolding in the United Kingdom, United States President Donald Trump chipped in and said in a social media post that Keir Starmer “will resign” as the Prime Minister of the UK. He also listed out the reasons why thinks the resignation might be coming, saying that Starmer failed on two fronts — immigration and energy — both of which Trump has a hardline stance on.“Keir Starmer will resign as Prime Minister of The United Kingdom. He failed badly on two very important subjects- IMMIGRATION AND ENERGY (OPEN NORTH SEA OIL!). I wish him well! President DJT,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.Trump’s remarks come even as he has not spoken to Starmer over the weekend.Starmer failed on several frontsEver since Starmer came to power with a landslide victory in 2024 and promised to bring major changes in how the country is functioning, he has struggled to deliver on several fronts such as economic growth, tattered public services, cost of living, among others.Additionally, he suffered a major public and political setback after he appointed Peter Mandelson as UK’s ambassador to the United States, who later turned out to have ties with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein more than previously known. This also triggered resignation calls against Starmer, but he managed to stand his ground.(With inputs from wires)