Andy Burnham now looks almost certain to take over as Labour leader – and UK prime minister – after Keir Starmer announced his resignation. In a speech in Downing Street, Starmer said his colleagues had persuaded him that he could no longer continue in the role and it’s believed that even allies had privately advised him to step aside. Burnham’s return to parliament only ramped the pressure up further.

But how can this have happened just two years after Labour’s huge win in the 2024 general election? Politics is a difficult – and different – game these days. As Starmer has discovered, personality, trust and likeability are just as important for governments and leaders as promises and delivery. In this sense, Starmer’s fate was sealed when it became clear to Labour MPs just how unpopular he was on doorsteps.

When Starmer led Labour into the election in 2024, he was facing down the party’s traditional rivals in the Conservatives. This was a failing party, and in government it had been unable to respond to the country’s desire for change.

And so Starmer won a landslide. But with two thirds of voters backing a party other than Labour, and many more people not voting at all (it was the second........

© The Conversation