Not Yet UK PM, Analyst: Burnham is a Chameleon, His Popularity Will Plummet

The United Kingdom is once again on the brink of a leadership change after Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced his resignation as leader of the Labour Party. If the process goes according to plan, Andy Burnham will become the UK’s seventh prime minister in less than a decade. Starmer’s resignation came after months of mounting political pressure within the Labour Party. His popularity plummeted following the party’s poor results in local and regional elections, as well as various controversies overshadowing his government. Burnham, the former mayor of Manchester who is widely known among Labour voters, emerged as a figure who successfully consolidated support amid Starmer’s weakening position. That momentum strengthened after Burnham won the Makerfield by-election last week by a margin of around 20 per cent. The landslide victory was seen by many as a strong signal that the Labour Party’s political direction is changing. On Monday, Starmer delivered his resignation speech outside the prime minister’s office at 10 Downing Street. In his speech, Starmer touched on a number of achievements he claimed were accomplished during his leadership. ‘We have reformed the Labour Party, strengthened the economy, reduced illegal boat crossings, supported Ukraine, cut NHS waiting lists, and restored Britain’s reputation on the international stage,’ Starmer said. Nevertheless, pressure from within the party continued to grow. According to an analysis by Graham Hryce in his article for Russia Today on Tuesday (23/6/2026), several senior Labour figures began questioning whether Starmer was still the right person to lead the party into the next general election. Starmer said he accepted the party’s decision. ‘I accept it with an open heart,’ he stated. He added that after leaving the party leadership, he hoped to become the ‘best husband’ and ‘best father’ for his family. As scheduled, Starmer will remain as prime minister until the Labour Party elects a new leader on 9 July. Shortly after the resignation announcement, Health Secretary Wes Streeting declared he would not run in the leadership contest and instead endorsed Burnham. The endorsement further strengthened Burnham’s chances of taking over the leadership without significant competition. However, Burnham’s path to Downing Street is not entirely smooth. Hryce, who is also an analyst, assessed that the new Labour leader will face deep internal divisions over various strategic issues, ranging from net-zero carbon emission targets, immigration policy, transgender rights, defence budgets, to welfare spending.