Leading UK politicians, including Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, have called for a general election following the resignation of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, while Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said Britain was tired of an “endless merry-go-round of prime ministers.”
According to reports from the BBC, Starmer announced on Monday that he would step down as Labour leader and prime minister after mounting pressure within his party, triggering a leadership contest that is expected to produce a new prime minister from the Labour Party before Parliament returns in September.
The development has also revived attention on Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch’s earlier call for a general election, made weeks before Starmer’s resignation, when she argued that any Labour successor would lack a direct mandate from voters.
In May, the Conservative leader said that if Starmer was forced out by his party, the British public should be given the opportunity to choose a new government through a general election rather than having another Labour leader take over in Downing Street.
“I think the public should have their chance to have a say on what it is they want,” Badenoch said at the time, arguing that a replacement prime minister would not have a mandate from voters, the UK Telegraph had reported.
Starmer confirmed he would remain prime minister until Labour completes its leadership contest. Nominations are scheduled to open on July 9 and close on July 16, when Parliament rises for its summer recess, with a new leader expected to be in place by September 1.
According to British media reports, the frontrunner to replace Starmer is widely seen as Andy Burnham, the former Greater Manchester mayor who recently returned to Parliament after winning the Makerfield by-election on June 18. His candidacy has been strengthened by the public backing of former Health Secretary Wes Streeting.
For Badenoch, however, the question is whether Labour’s internal leadership crisis can create an opening for the Conservatives. Since becoming Tory leader, she has sought to position herself as a serious alternative to both Labour and Reform UK, presenting the Conservatives as what she calls Britain’s only major governing party.
Badenoch’s rise has drawn attention across Africa, particularly in Nigeria, where she was born before emigrating to the United Kingdom as a teenager. She has sparked debate with her criticism of Nigeria’s governance and institutions, arguing that her experiences growing up there shaped many of her political views.With speculation mounting over Britain’s next prime minister, the Nigerian-born Conservative leader is increasingly being discussed as a potential future occupant of 10 Downing Street.
Badenoch’s chances of becoming prime minister in the immediate term remain limited unless a general election is called. Under Britain’s parliamentary system, Labour still holds a majority in the House of Commons and can choose a new leader without returning to the electorate.
Starmer’s departure does, however, reshape the political landscape. A prolonged Labour leadership battle, combined with growing voter dissatisfaction and pressure from opposition parties, could strengthen Badenoch’s position ahead of the next national vote.
Badenoch has already criticised Labour’s record in government, arguing that the problems facing the country go beyond Starmer himself. Following the resignation announcement, she described him as a “terrible prime minister” and said Labour’s economic and welfare policies reflected broader problems within the party rather than its leadership alone.
