标签： Europe

LONDON — In a seismic shake-up of British midterm governance, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Monday he would resign from his roles as prime minister and leader of the ruling Labour Party, acknowledging he no longer holds the confidence of Labour’s parliamentary rank and file. He will remain in office only until a successor is selected, a transition that could be completed as early as mid-July.

The political domino effect that led to Starmer’s exit was triggered last week by a landslide by-election win for Andy Burnham, the former popular mayor of Greater Manchester, in the northwest England constituency of Makerfield. Within hours of Starmer’s resignation statement delivered outside 10 Downing Street, Burnham — who will be re-sworn in as a member of Parliament this week after a decade serving in city-level governance — formally confirmed he will stand to replace Starmer as Labour leader and prime minister.

Burnham’s decisive Makerfield victory has positioned him as the undisputed frontrunner in the leadership race. Against a backdrop of plummeting national poll ratings for Labour and heavy losses in May’s local elections, Burnham defied all political expectations: he fended off a strong challenge from the anti-immigration Reform UK, consolidated support from left-leaning minor parties, and lifted Labour’s vote share in the seat to nearly 55%. Political analysts note that if this level of support is replicated nationwide in the next general election, Labour would retain its hold on government. The next formal general election is not required to be held until 2029, and UK electoral law allows ruling parties to replace their leader — and thus prime minister — midterm without triggering a national vote.

In his Downing Street statement, Starmer did not name Burnham explicitly, but conceded with graciousness that he was no longer the best candidate to lead Labour into the next national election. “The country expects stability, seriousness and a continued focus on the issues that matter most and that is what it will get,” Burnham told reporters ahead of his journey to London on Monday, adding that the leadership transition must be carried out in an orderly, responsible manner.

Per the timeline laid out by Starmer, Labour’s National Executive Committee will open candidate nominations on July 9. If Burnham runs unopposed, he could be confirmed as the new party leader as soon as the following week. A contested leadership election would push the final result into September.

Burnham has already secured a major early endorsement: Wes Streeting, who stepped down as Health Secretary last month and was widely expected to launch his own leadership bid, announced he would back Burnham instead. Streeting argued Burnham is the only candidate capable of defeating the nationalist, anti-immigration agenda of Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, which has overtaken Labour in national opinion polls since the 2024 general election. “We could spend the summer exaggerating small differences, or we can roll up our sleeves and help him to deliver the change our party and our country needs,” Streeting said.

Other potential contenders have not yet publicly commented on the leadership race. These include Starmer’s former deputy Angela Rayner, who resigned last September over an unpaid property tax controversy, and former Armed Forces Minister Al Carns, who quit last week in protest of Starmer’s defense funding plans. Many Labour parliamentarians have publicly called for a unanimous coronation of Burnham to allow him to move into 10 Downing Street before the party’s annual autumn conference, though Burnham declined to comment on whether he prefers an unopposed transition when asked by reporters.

To qualify for the leadership contest, candidates must first secure the backing of 20% of Labour’s House of Commons lawmakers — a threshold of 81 votes. Candidates who clear that hurdle must then win support from either 5% of local constituency Labour parties or at least three affiliated groups, such as trade unions and cooperative societies. Once the candidate list is finalized, eligible Labour members and affiliate representatives will vote through a ranked-choice electoral system, with the first candidate to secure more than 50% of the vote declared the winner. After the result is confirmed, King Charles III will formally invite the new leader to form a government and take office as prime minister.

On Monday, dozens of journalists and radio employees linked arms to form a human chain encircling Czech Public Radio’s headquarters in Prague, launching a 24-hour warning strike to push back against the ruling coalition’s controversial plan to restructure public broadcaster financing. The proposed policy, which was formally approved by the cabinet of populist Prime Minister Andrej Babiš last week, would scrap the long-standing system of viewer and listener license fees paid by individual households and private businesses, replacing that funding stream with direct allocations from the national state budget starting in 2025.

The government’s overhaul has sparked widespread public outcry and repeated protests, with media workers and free press advocates warning that the shift would open the door to undue political interference and erode the core independence of Czech public media. Critics draw parallels to other central European countries led by populist governments, specifically pointing to Slovakia under Prime Minister Robert Fico and Hungary under former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, where political control over public media has become widely documented.

Beyond the threat to editorial independence, the plan also carries steep financial consequences for the institutions: official projections show public broadcasters would face an immediate 15% cut to their total annual budget in the first year of the new policy. Leaders of both public radio and public television have confirmed the funding reduction would force hundreds of layoffs across the two outlets, slash original content production, and lead to the cancellation of dozens of popular ongoing programs.

During Monday’s strike, radio staff dressed all in black to symbolize what they call a threat to the future of independent public media. In a coordinated act of protest, most regular programs were delayed by one minute at the start of the broadcast, and the station intentionally limited access to its online and social media platforms for the duration of the 24-hour action. Strike organizers have confirmed they are already planning additional escalated protest steps in the coming weeks, but have not yet released details of what those actions will entail.

LONDON – In an unexpected announcement delivered on Monday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed he will step down as leader of the governing Labour Party, just 24 months after securing a historic landslide general election victory that ended 14 years of Conservative rule.

Opening his statement with reflection on his political journey, Starmer described walking into Downing Street after the 2024 election as the proudest moment of his life. He recalled the state of the Labour Party when he took over its leadership six years prior, noting that many political commentators and insiders had written the party off entirely. At that time, Starmer said, critics insisted Labour was politically, financially and morally bankrupt, and that a parliamentary majority — let alone a landslide win — was out of reach.

Those doubters were proven wrong, Starmer emphasized, because he led a root-and-branch transformation of the party. His leadership purged the organization of the antisemitism that had eroded public trust, rebuilt confidence in Labour’s handling of the economy, defense and national security, and repositioned the party as a patriotic institution proud to stand alongside Britain’s national identity. All of these reforms, he noted, were pursued not for the sake of holding power, but to deliver tangible improvements for the British public.

Outlining the Labour government’s achievements over its two years in office, Starmer highlighted a string of policy gains: an outperforming economy with growth faster than most European peers, consistent wage growth that outpaces inflation, billions in new private and public investment for major infrastructure projects, an end to a decade of austerity policies, the fastest reduction in National Health Service waiting lists in 17 years, the most sweeping expansion of worker and renter rights in a generation, the largest increase in defense spending since the end of the Cold War, reduced irregular small boat crossings across the English Channel, winding down costly asylum seeker hotel accommodations, new protections for minors from harmful social media content, and the lifting of 500,000 children out of household poverty.

On the global stage, Starmer added his government had restored Britain’s international reputation, reaffirming the country’s commitment to democratic values, the rule of law, unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty, and repaired fractured diplomatic ties with European allies, while securing new favorable trade agreements.

“Change promised by a Labour government. Change fought for by a Labour government, change delivered by a Labour government,” Starmer said.

He went on to explain that the core question facing the party now is not whether he could deliver power and begin the work of national renewal — a challenge he says has already been addressed. Instead, the debate centers on whether he is the right leader to take the party into the next general election. After receiving the parliamentary party’s answer to that question, Starmer said he accepts the outcome 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,” he stated. Starmer confirmed he had already notified King Charles III of his decision in a morning audience.

Under the transition plan outlined by Starmer, the Labour Party’s National Executive Committee will launch a leadership contest with nominations opening on July 9 and concluding before parliament’s summer recess. If a competitive contest is held, the process will deliver a new leader before parliament reconvenes in September. Starmer will remain in office as Prime Minister through the duration of the contest, and pledged to oversee a smooth, orderly handover of power to his successor. He also promised full and unequivocal support to the next leader, noting they will inherit a country far stronger and fairer than the one Starmer took responsibility for two years prior, better positioned to tackle future challenges and secure Labour a second consecutive term in government.

In closing, Starmer extended gratitude to his parliamentary colleagues, friends, Downing Street staff and the UK civil service for their dedication and support over the past six years. He added that after leaving office, he will prioritize his family, saying he looks forward to devoting more time to being a husband to his wife Vic, who he described as a constant rock through both triumph and turmoil, and a father to his children, who he called his greatest pride and joy.

BERLIN – In a landmark move aimed at bolstering European defense industrial capacity amid shifting global security threats, the German federal government announced on Monday its plan to take a 40% minority stake in leading trans-European defense contractor KNDS. The firm, best known for manufacturing the Leopard and Leclerc main battle tanks that form the backbone of many European armored forces, is already jointly structured between German and French stakeholders.

Founded in 2015 through the merger of Germany’s Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) and France’s state-owned Nexter, KNDS currently splits ownership 50/50 between the French government and the German Bode family, which controls the KMW side of the business. Headquartered in Amsterdam, the defense conglomerate posted 4.4 billion euros (equivalent to roughly $5 billion) in total annual revenue in 2023 and employs more than 11,000 workers across its European operations. Beyond its signature main battle tanks, KNDS also produces a range of critical military hardware, including the Puma infantry fighting vehicle and the Boxer and Dingo lines of armored personnel carriers.

The German government’s stake acquisition comes amid a continent-wide push to scale up defense spending and production after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, paired with growing European uncertainty over long-term United States security commitments to the NATO alliance. Officials in Berlin emphasized that the equity investment will lock in long-term strategic oversight of a company central to European defense and security capabilities.

“National industrial value creation, technological sovereignty, and the protection of core security interests and key technologies based in Germany will all be strengthened through this stake,” the German government said in an official statement Monday.

In a coordinated joint announcement, Berlin and Paris confirmed they had struck a broader agreement on the future strategy and corporate governance of KNDS. The two NATO allies outlined a shared goal of becoming equal joint shareholders in the firm through a series of upcoming ownership transactions. While the agreement does not specify a timeline for the ownership restructuring or confirm the final equal stake level, it clears the path for KNDS to launch an initial public offering (IPO) in the near term.

The transatlantic alliance’s two largest European military powers framed the deal as a concrete step toward a long-held shared goal: “This agreement reflects the shared determination of France and Germany to strengthen Europe’s industrial and defense capabilities, support their armed forces, and strengthen European sovereignty over the long term,” the joint statement read.

LONDON – When Keir Starmer swept into Britain’s top office in July 2024, voters handed the centre-left Labour Party a landslide parliamentary majority after 14 years of Conservative rule, casting him as a steady, crisis-ending alternative to the relentless chaos, scandal and rapid turnover of Conservative prime ministers Boris Johnson and Liz Truss. Positioning himself as a “safe pair of hands” who would restore dignity and stability to UK politics, Starmer famously pledged to end the “soap opera” of Westminster and deliver a low-drama government focused on public service. Just 22 months later, that promise lies in tatters, and Starmer is stepping down as Labour leader – a spectacular political downfall triggered by a cascade of missteps, internal party unrest, and a catastrophic judgment call that entangled his premiership in the lingering scandal of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

In an emotional public address Monday, Starmer confirmed he would resign as leader of the governing Labour Party, remaining in Downing Street only as a caretaker prime minister until the party selects a permanent successor in the coming weeks. “The question my party is asking now is whether I am best placed to lead us into the next general election,” Starmer said. “I have heard the answer of my parliamentary party to that question, and I accept that answer with good grace.”

Political analysts trace Starmer’s collapse to weaknesses that were visible even on the day he took power. Though Labour won a commanding 411 of 650 House of Commons seats, the party secured just 34% of the national vote, with most of its support driven by widespread voter anger at the Conservatives rather than genuine enthusiasm for Starmer or his policy agenda. That fragile foundation quickly eroded as a series of early missteps eroded public and parliamentary trust: an early controversy over unreported free gifts, including designer glasses and Taylor Swift concert tickets, was followed by a string of awkward policy U-turns, most notably unpopular attempts to cut welfare spending that stoked deep anger within Starmer’s own party ranks.

The fatal blow to Starmer’s leadership came from his decision to appoint veteran Labour figure Peter Mandelson as UK Ambassador to the United States. Starmer’s government viewed Mandelson as an ideal pick for the role, leaning on his extensive trade expertise and established connections with global elites to navigate the challenges of Donald Trump’s second presidential term. The gamble initially paid off: Mandelson helped negotiate a bilateral trade agreement that spared the UK from steep new tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on dozens of nations. But the appointment backfired spectacularly when newly released documents confirmed Mandelson’s long-documented close ties to Epstein, the convicted sex offender who died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Mandelson infamously once referred to himself as Epstein’s “best friend”, and records released in September 2025 laid bare the extent of their ongoing relationship long after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for sex offenses involving a minor.

Starmer quickly fired Mandelson, but successive revelations continued to escalate the crisis. Documents released in January 2026 indicated that Mandelson, while serving in Gordon Brown’s Labour Cabinet in 2009, shared sensitive, potentially market-moving government information with Epstein. Mandelson has since been arrested and questioned by UK police on suspicion of misconduct in public office, though he has not been charged and faces no allegations of sexual misconduct connected to Epstein. Most damagingly for Starmer, it emerged that Mandelson had failed mandatory security vetting for the ambassador post – yet was appointed anyway, despite the red flags. Starmer’s repeated apologies and claims he had no knowledge of the failed checks failed to defuse outrage across the parliamentary Labour Party.

Starmer’s background as a career prosecutor may have set him up for failure in the top job, according to political observers. Rob Ford, a professor of political science at the University of Manchester, noted that after entering electoral politics in his 50s following a successful legal career that culminated in his appointment as Director of Public Prosecutions for England and Wales, Starmer lacked the innate political instinct needed to spot avoidable crises. “Starmer’s selling point was ‘no more soap opera politics’,” Ford explained. “Instead, his government was the antithesis of what he said he was going to be about, and it’s very hard to survive that.”

Opponents had long painted Starmer, knighted for his service at the Crown Prosecution Service, as an out-of-touch elite “lefty London lawyer”, a narrative that stuck despite his humble working-class roots: born to a toolmaker, Starmer is an avid amateur footballer who still plays the sport at 63, and counts watching his beloved Arsenal with a pint at his local pub among his favorite pastimes. He has kept his family life intensely private, with his two teenage children largely out of the public eye.

Though Starmer’s forensic, prosecutorial style made him a formidable opposition leader, where he repeatedly tore into three successive Conservative prime ministers – most notably scathing attacks on Boris Johnson over the illegal Downing Street lockdown parties during the COVID-19 pandemic – he struggled to adapt to the different skill set required of a sitting prime minister, particularly on domestic policy. He fared far better on the international stage, rallying unified European support for Ukraine in its war against Russia and working to contain the economic and political spillover from the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. That diplomatic work did little to shore up his domestic standing, however, and his decision to take a firmer public stance against Trump – after initially cultivating a friendly cross-ideology relationship – over the Iran war and Trump’s public threats to annex Greenland led to open personal criticism from the U.S. president, who derided Starmer as “not Winston Churchill” and mocked the Royal Navy.

The final nail in the coffin came on May 7, when Labour suffered a catastrophic trouncing in nationwide local and regional elections. The result triggered a wave of ministerial resignations and open leadership challenges, as lawmakers representing marginal constituencies grew increasingly panicked by plummeting poll numbers and Starmer’s record-low personal approval ratings. In the aftermath, the path was cleared for former Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham to run for a parliamentary seat, which he won decisively, setting him up to be the overwhelming favorite to replace Starmer in 10 Downing Street.

For Starmer, the end of his premiership marks one of the most sudden and dramatic falls from power in modern British political history, brought on by a failure to deliver on the core promise that won him office: steady, competent governance after years of conservative chaos.