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Cartoon by Peter Brookes.
British PM Starmer Resigns & Farage Demands General Election
- A Radical Dispatch
1) Starmer Resigns For Burnham
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has resigned.
The Times reports 22nd June 2026:
Starmer gave his resignation speech outside No.10 while an anti-Brexit campaigner played the EU anthem, Beethoven’s Ode to Joy over loud speaker.
Click to play:
PM Starmer: “Thank you. Thank you. Walking up this street two years ago was the proudest moment of my life. A new Labour government. The first in 14 years. A page in our country’s history turned after years of disappointment and despair. The chance to change the lives of millions of people for the better. That’s what I came into politics for. The journey to that point was not easy. Six years ago, I inherited a Labour Party that was politically, financially and morally bankrupt. I was told time and time again that my party was finished, that we were consigned to history, that the majority at the general election, let alone a landslide majority, was impossible. But we proved those people wrong, because we changed our party ripping out the poison of anti-semitism, restoring trust on the economy defence and national security. And becoming a party that once again stood proudly with, not against, our national flag. The hard work of change was with a singular purpose. Not power for power’s sake but to change Britain for the better. To build a fairer country with dignity and respect where everyone is seen, everyone is valued. Wealth and opportunity for all, not just the privileged few. And look at what we’ve achieved in just two years: an economy that is stronger, growing faster than our peers; wages rising faster than inflation in every single month since we came to power; investments secured, infrastructure being built; an end to austerity with the fastest fall in NHS waiting lists for 17 years; the biggest improvement in rights for workers and renters in a generation; the biggest uplift in defence spending since the Cold War; small boat crossings falling; asylum hotels closing; protecting young people from social media; and half a million children being lifted out of poverty, because of the choices that I made; our reputation in the world restored, with Britain once again standing up for decency respect and the rule of law; securing trade deals; standing with Ukraine; standing up for our values; and rebuilding our relationship with our allies in Europe. Change promised by a Labour government. Change fought for by a Labour government. Change delivered by a Labour government. But I know the question being asked now is not who was best placed to change the Labour Party to take us into power and to begin the vital work of improving lives for millions of people. Those questions have been answered. The question my party is asking now, is whether I am best placed to lead us into the next general election. I have heard the answer of my parliamentary party to that question. And I accept that answer with good grace. Every decision I’ve taken has been about putting the country I love first. That is why I will resign as leader of the Labour Party. I have spoken to His Majesty the King this morning to inform him of my decision. I will ask the National Executive Committee of the Labour Party to set out a timetable with nominations opening on the 9th of July, and completed by the summer recess. In the case of a contest, this will ensure a new leader is in place before Parliament returns in September. I will remain in post as Prime Minister until the contest is complete. And I will do everything I can to ensure an orderly handover of power. I will also give my successor my full and unequivocal support, knowing that they will inherit a Britain that is far stronger and fairer than the one I inherited two years ago, better prepared for the challenges ahead and better able to ensure the Labour Party secures a second term in office. I want to thank all of those friends and colleagues who have been at my side for these past six years or so, for their incredible commitment, service and support. I want to thank the brilliant Number 10 staff and our country’s extraordinary civil service who dedicate their lives to public service. And when I leave the biggest job in the country, I shall spend more time on the most important job, being the best husband I can to my fantastic wife Fig, who has been a rock by my side through good times and bad. And being the best Dad I can to my beautiful children. Who are my pride and my joy. Thank you very much.”
As soon as Starmer resigned, his presumed successor - a freshly elected Andy Burnham MP - announced that he is standing to replace him as Labour leader, and hence Prime Minister.
Click to play:
Broadcaster 1: “Andy Burnham, currently the Mayor of Greater Manchester, he has responded to this morning’s event in a tweet on X. He said Keir has given huge service to our country and I want to thank him for his leadership and dedication during such a challenging period.”
Broadcaster 2: “His decision marks the beginning of a transition and it is important that this process is conducted in an orderly and responsible way.”
Broadcaster 1: “I will put myself forward as part of that process. The country expects stability, seriousness and a continued focus on the issues that matter most, and that is what it will get.”
Broadcaster 2: “As we move forward, our priority must be to work together to get the country back to where we all want it to be. People want to see progress on economic growth, cost of living, public services, housing and opportunities for the next generation.”
Broadcaster 1: “Political change should never distract from the responsibility to improve people’s lives. The labour movement has always been at its strongest when it looks forward with confidence and purpose.”
Broadcaster 2: “And this is what we will do from here and we will make sure this transition is a positive process of renewal for our party and our country. That is Andy Burnham’s statement following the Prime Minister announcing his intention to stand down as Labour Party leader and of course as Prime Minister. Sounding, Miriam, quite Prime Ministerial himself. I wonder why.”
Broadcaster 1: “Indeed. It took him about an hour to post that. Clearly we’ve been having some discussions probably about how to respond. He’s going to put himself forward. Doesn’t know yet of course whether or not anybody else will. If they don’t, if he is the only candidate for the leadership, he could be Prime Minister by the 16th of July.”
So far, it appears as if Burnham will stand for the Labour leadership in an uncontested race. His biggest rivals have thrown their support behind him, presumably in exchange for promises of top jobs in his government.
Burnham could be prime minister by July 16th.
So what happens next?
The Times reports 22nd June 2026:
The speed of this process, and the fact that it is uncontested, let alone carrying no public mandate, has led to many accusing the Labour party of simply ‘coronating’ a new leader in order to preserve their incredibly unpopular government.
Click to play:
Maajid Nawaz for WARRIOR CREED: “In other words, Andy Burnham is likely by the Labour Party to be coronated as leader of the party without contest now that he won his MP seat in the by-election of Makerfield and quit as Mayor of Greater Manchester. And that coronation as the leader of the Labour Party means, necessarily, because due to the British parliamentary system, he becomes automatically sworn in by the monarch as Prime Minister because the Labour Party has the majority of seats in Parliament. So that is the Labour Party’s route to getting Andy Burnham to becoming Prime Minister. Nigel Farage has called instead for a general election for the British public to get to decide who their next Prime Minister is and he has argued that Andy Burnham not only has no mandate to govern this country but also nobody really knows what he stands for…”
Regardless, there remain many highly controversial Labour government policy decisions that could very quickly unravel Burnham’s incoming government and quickly erase any hoped-for honeymoon period.
So what are they? Read on.
2) Grooming Gangs
The next presumed Labour prime minister Andy Burnham has already become embroiled in heightened controversy around the national scandal of underage ‘grooming’ gang rape, being accused of covering up the cases in Manchester where Burnham served as mayor.
Click to play:
Former police detective and whistleblower Maggie Oliver has accused Burnham’s cover up in Oldham, Manchester, of contributing to the suicide of one victim’s husband.
This was reported here.
GB News reports 20th June 2022:
“A former police detective constable has claimed a husband of a grooming gang victim killed himself over the investigation. Victims of grooming gangs in Oldham have received official apologies after a major report said police and the local council failed to protect some youngsters from sexual exploitation.”
During Burnham’s Makerfield constituency by-election campaign, Maggie Oliver doubled down on this allegation.
Click to play:
Broadcaster: “Tell us about your experiences of Andy Burnham.”
Maggie Oliver: “Yeah, I’ve got quite a long history with Andy Burnham, and I know him reasonably well. I have to give credit where credit’s due. He did announce two independent inquiries into Augusta, which I worked on in 2005, and the Rochdale shambolic inquiry from 2012, which I worked on also. And whilst I have to say that those two independent inquiries, I felt, were quite thorough and actually gave me credibility because everything I had been saying was true. I also have to say that the Oldham inquiry that was squeezed in the middle, in my opinion, as me personally, not as the chair of my foundation, was a cover up on all levels. And the final part of his ‘independent inquiry’ was meant to be the assurance review. And I have to say that that was a complete and utter paper exercise. All survivors, all victims were forbidden from speaking to that independent inquiry. The two professionals who had been working on the Rochdale, the Augusta inquiry who had been working on it for seven years, resigned in disgust, as did I. HMRC were brought in, and we got a glowing reference of what GMP are doing now, which I can say was not based on a single victim or survivor’s testimony. It was a paper exercise where the police were able to say that everything was now hunky dory. So what I would say is that Andy Burnham really did me a favour personally and he didn’t pull punches when looking at the failures of the past, but when it came to exposing what is now going on, he ducked out. And I think he looked at his own political position. He protected Greater Manchester Police and I would have had more respect for him if he had gone the full monty and actually looked at what was going on today. So I feel that this latest attempt to promote himself as a leader of the country is not in the best interests of the country on any level.”
The underage rape ‘grooming’ gang scandal is not going away any time soon and will most likely return to haunt Burnham as prime minister.
3) Trans Kids Debate
Another highly divisive and controversial topic that is set to haunt Burnham’s coming premiership is the issue of providing puberty blockers to 11 year olds.
The BBC reports 19th June 2026:
“Gender-questioning children will have to be at least 11 years old to take part in a clinical trial assessing the risks and benefits of puberty-blocking drugs. The planned Pathways Trial, external was paused in February 2026 after the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) raised safety concerns and suggested introducing a minimum age of 14, where none had been set previously. It says discussions with the research team have allowed ‘a number of safeguards’, including participation age, to be strengthened. The first children are expected to be recruited in August, although ongoing legal action by some clinicians and campaigners questioning the trial’s safety and ethics, may delay that.”
As mayor, Andy Burnham provided £100,000 in support funds to campaign groups who had been lobbying for precisely this change.
Here is an image of Burnham championing ‘queer kids in safe schools’.
