Former prime minister Sir Keir Starmer announced his resignation as an MP on Tuesday in a shock move, setting his successor Andy Burnham up for a fresh by-election.
Sir Keir’s decision to stand down from his role as MP for Holborn and St Pancras will trigger a by-election in the constituency just months after he stood down as prime minister.
His announcement comes ahead of Mr Burnham’s first address as prime minister in the House of Commons as Parliament returns from recess.
The speech will focus on the cost-of-living crisis as the Labour leader makes a case for bringing more essential services under public control, according to reports in .
Mr Burnham has announced a range of policies over the summer that have largely gone uncontested but will now face scrutiny by MPs.
Chancellor John Healey has also promised to hike UK defence spending after Donald Trump said he was reviewing the United States’ position on the British sovereignty over the Falkland islands.
The US president is reportedly willing to oppose British rule of the overseas territory as an incentive to encourage Mr Burnham to increase defence spending.
Green leader Zack Polanski has not ruled out contesting in upcoming by-election
Zack Polanski has not ruled out contesting the Holborn and St Pancras seat following Sir Keir Starmer’s resignation, the Green Party has said.
The Green leader is currently a member of the London Assembly.
They said: "Zack has always made it clear he would like to be a London MP.
"London has been his home for over 20 years."
Tories say Starmer's resignation 'another U-turn'
The Tories said Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to step down marked “another U-turn”.
Conservative Party chairman Kevin Hollinrake said: “Whilst we have disagreed with almost all of Sir Keir Starmer’s decisions, I wish him and his family well for the future.
“It is fitting that his final act as a Member of Parliament is yet another U-turn having pledged to stay on.
“The decision to stand down will mean a costly by-election for taxpayers at a time when Andy Burnham and John Healey are plotting tax rises on hardworking families across the country.
“The Conservatives look forward to giving the people of Holborn and St Pancras a chance to vote for a stronger economy and a stronger country in the weeks ahead.”
Starmer made decision to resign after time to 'reflect' over summer
Sir Keir Starmer has shared a statement outlining his shock resignation this morning, saying his decision was made as he had time to “reflect” over the summer.
“I have decided that now is the right time to step down as MP for Holborn and St Pancras and hand the baton over to a successor,” he said.
He added he will “always remain immensely proud to have represented the place Vic, the kids and I call home.”
“I look back with pride on what my constituency team and I have delivered in Holborn and St Pancras since 2015 and I thank all those who I was privileged to work with on so many issues of local concern,” he continued.
“Whoever is lucky enough to become the Labour candidate here will have my full support and backing and I will continue to give my full support to the prime minister and this Labour government.”
Starmer says serving as MP has been 'honour and privilege'
Sir Keir Starmer said it has been a “huge honour and privilege” to represent Holborn and St Pancras as he announced his resignation.
Speaking to the he said: “It has been a huge honour and privilege to represent the best constituency in the country and to have taken over from Frank Dobson, who was such a great constituency MP and a member of the last Labour government.
“I will now focus on other things and that will be international affairs including defence, security, trade and technology in a fast-changing world.
“I will also continue, as I have done for a long time now with others, work on combating violence against women and girls; that is an issue that matters to me hugely. It’s work I started before I became an MP and it’s work I’m keen to continue after I’m an MP.
“So international affairs on the one hand, and continuing my work on violence against women and girls on the other.”
He has informed local Labour constituency party staff of his decision to exit Parliament after eleven years representing the north London seat.
Iran bond selloff will mean higher borrowing costs for Burnham, reports say
A global selloff of Iran bonds means Andy Burnham and John Healey will face higher borrowing costs and an increased likelihood of interest rate rises, according to reports.
Bloomberg News reports that the the odds of a quarter point Bank of England interest hike coming in November have risen to almost 70 per cent, and that a second hike is more than fully priced in for next March and seen as 80 per cent likely to come by February.
That could a major obstacle to Mr Burnham’s plans to slash the cost of living.
PM vows to 'stamp out antisemitism for good' as he pays tribute to synagogue attack victims
Andy Burnham has vowed to “stamp out antisemitism for good” as he paid tribute to the victims of the Manchester synagogue terror attack.
The prime minister wrote on X: “We send our love and support to the Jewish community in Manchester and beyond who last night gathered to remember Melvin Cravitz and Adrian Daulby, who were killed defending their synagogue last year. My thoughts are with their families and all those who have been affected by the attack.
“I know for many Jewish people, the sorrow and fear from that day has not lifted, and I know we must do more to protect communities across the country.
“I want Jewish people to know that their safety is a priority of mine and I’m determined to stamp out antisemitism for good.”
What is coming up in Burnham's speech to the Commons?
Andy Burnham is set to make his first Commons address as UK prime minister on Tuesday afternoon.
His speech is expected to call for greater public control over water, energy and transport as he faces scrutiny from MPs for the first time.
Mr Burnham will argue that stronger public control over many of the country’s services can be an engine for economic growth, setting out his belief that essential services have not been run in the public interest.
In his first appearance at the despatch box in 16 years, he is expected to say that they have become neither reliable nor affordable, holding back British households and the wider economy.
The , which first reported details of the Commons statement, said Mr Burnham would make public control over important services a priority for the government over coming months.
“Andy is optimistic about our country’s future,” A No 10 source said. “He has a clear plan for how we turn things round. He is determined we make this the moment we bring back hope.”
Cabinet meeting ends
Andy Burnham’s first Cabinet meeting of the new parliamentary term has ended.
Ministers were seen leaving Downing Street after around 90 minutes inside. Many of them are likely to be present in the Commons later when the prime minister makes his first address to the chamber.
Nearly two-thirds of Britons think govt is wrong to allow early prison releases, poll says
Nearly two-thirds of Britons think the government is wrong to allow early prison releases, according to polling.
Ahead of an announcement in Parliament by the justice secretary on plans to ease prison overcrowding, YouGov said 64 per cent opposed the early release scheme in a survey of 2,087 adults.
The Government’s proposal to halve the time that some more serious offenders will have to serve in prison is opposed by 82 per cent of those surveyed while 61 per cent are against cutting the proportion of their sentences that less serious offenders have to spend in jail to around a third.
Building more prisons to tackle the overcrowding crisis has the support of 81 per cent of Britons while 78 per cent back releasing foreign nationals early so they can be deported, according to YouGov.