Starmer expected to resign on Monday as growing numbers of MPs back Burnham for PM – UK politics live

Keir Starmer expected to announce departure as prime minister on Monday The Guardian’s senior political correspondent, Peter Walker , has more on the prime minister’s intentions going forward: Keir Starmer is expected to announce on Monday that he will step down as prime minister, after overwhelming pressure from Labour MPs to make way for Andy Burnham to become Labour leader. The prime minister and his allies had insisted for weeks that they would fight a leadership challenge from Burnham, or anyone else, before the Makerfield byelection in which Burnham was hoping to secure a return to Westminster. But on Sunday morning, the business secretary, Peter Kyle, told Sky News that Starmer was spending the weekend “making time to reflect on the political realities” he faces. Speaking for the government, Kyle refused to say what he thought Starmer’s plans were, or what he had asked the PM to do. You can read the full story here: Key events When asked if he thinks it is in the country’s interest for Keir Starmer to go, Peter Kyle tellingly dodged the question and said it was imperative for the government to continue to function despite the political turbulence. He told Sky News: double quotation mark My priority when I think what my role is in putting the country first is to uphold the authority of this government to make sure we can govern through a moment of political challenge and that we are 100% focused on delivering. …