Sir Keir Starmer will stay on as an MP after stepping down as Prime Minister in the coming weeks, his spokesman has confirmed. The announcement ends speculation over whether Starmer would resign his seat, which would have forced a by-election in his Holborn and St Pancras constituency in north London.
No by-election for Holborn and St Pancras
Asked if Starmer would remain an MP for the rest of the parliamentary term, his official spokesman said: 'He's going to remain as an MP.' The decision avoids a potentially tricky by-election that could have been a top target for Zack Polanski's Green Party. Resigning would have opened up a contest in the safe Labour seat, but Starmer's choice to stay removes that possibility.
The spokesman also implied that the outgoing PM would not join the Cabinet if asked, pointing to Starmer's words at a Cabinet meeting yesterday. Starmer told colleagues: 'This is the end of my journey, but this is not the end of yours.'
PMQs drama and Badenoch's barbs
The confirmation came after a raucous session of Prime Minister's Questions, which was not attended by Andy Burnham, the likely successor. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch took the opportunity to mock Burnham, describing him as 'a pair of eyelashes and a black T-shirt'.
Badenoch had earlier been reprimanded by Speaker Lindsay Hoyle for her targeting of Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson. She called Phillipson a 'spiteful class warrior' and said: 'If she knew so much about poor children, she would not have given them fewer teachers.' Chancellor Rachel Reeves turned to Phillipson in shock at the remark.
Hoyle responded: 'Can I just say, think about the language we're using, because when we leave this chamber don't be surprised when constituents feel they can use the same language against each other.'
Impact on Labour succession
Starmer's decision to stay as an MP smooths the transition to his successor, almost certainly Andy Burnham. By avoiding a by-election, Starmer ensures that Labour does not face an unnecessary electoral test during a period of leadership change. The move also allows Starmer to continue his parliamentary work without the distraction of a contested election in his constituency.
