LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will answer questions from lawmakers in the House of Commons for the last time Wednesday before he leaves office next week.At noon, Starmer will bid farewell to the boisterous weekly Prime Minister’s Questions sessions where he has traded barbs with opposition politicians and defended his government’s record. Then, on Monday, he will step down after just two years in office, handing over power to a new Labour Party leader, Andy Burnham.Britain’s parliamentary democracy allows governing parties to change leaders, and thus prime ministers, without the need for a general election. The next national election does not have to be held until 2029.Starmer was elected in a landslide in July 2024, but is quitting after two years in office marred by missteps and judgment errors that eroded his standing with his party and the public.He struggled to deliver promised economic growth, repair tattered public services and ease the cost of living. And he was hamstrung by repeated missteps, including his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson, a scandal-tarnished friend of Jeffrey Epstein, as U.K. ambassador to the United States.
After Labour was hammered in May’s local elections, he gave in to mounting pressure from the party and announced he would step down. Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester, is the only candidate in the contest to replace him and will be announced as the new Labour leader on Friday.
