Keir Starmer’s resignation exposes the fragility beneath Labour’s 2024 landslide, as Brexit-era divisions, weak personal support and pressure from Reform, the Greens and independents pulled apart his shallow electoral support.

Keir Starmer has resigned as leader of the Labour party, and so, in time, as the UK’s prime minister. In the end, despite his numerous assurances that he would fight on, after Andy Burnham’s resounding win in the Makerfield byelection, the pressure on Starmer became too great to withstand. It makes him the sixth British PM in a decade to stand down.

The immediate cause of his decision was the final collapse in support for him in the party and in cabinet, clarified in private conversations over the weekend. In setting out his plans, Starmer has avoided the avalanche of resignations that toppled Conservative PMs Boris Johnson and Liz Truss.

The overall aim seems to be a more orderly transition – “with good grace” – than those under recent Conservative governments. Yet his emotional statement reflecting on his time in the highest office still highlights a leader who knows he has failed.

Starmer was not popular the day before he walked into 10 Downing Street. On the eve of the 2024 general election, his net satisfaction rating with Ipsos stood at minus 21. This was a historic low for an incoming prime minister. While 31 per cent of the public said they were satisfied with his performance, 52 per cent were dissatisfied, marking the first time a leader had secured a........

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