Former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has announced he is to stand down as an MP to focus on a role in international affairs.
The move will trigger a by-election in the London seat of Holborn and St Pancras, long a Labour stronghold, which he has represented since 2015.
Sir Keir, who left Downing Street in July, had previously said he would stay on as an MP until the next UK general election, which is not due until 2029.
But in a surprise statement hours before his successor Andy Burnham made his debut in the House of Commons, he said he was resigning to work on issues such as international affairs and violence against women and girls.
Paying tribute to his predecessor, Burnham highlighted Sir Keir’s work with Ukraine and the Hillsborough Law drawn up under his government to improve the accountability of public officials, which is going through Parliament.
“He has given this country a lifetime of public service, particularly for those fighting for justice,” he added.
“His leadership took our party from one of its worst defeats to its best victories and created a platform to change this country for the better. We will use it well, and we wish his family the very best for the future.”
Announcing his resignation, Sir Keir told the Camden New Journal, external it had been a “huge honour and privilege” to represent the London constituency for 11 years, ending weeks of speculation about whether he would remain an MP.
He added he was ready to “pass the baton to a successor”, telling the newspaper it was the “right time” for him to leave Parliament.
He said: “I will now focus on other things and that will be international affairs including defence, security, trade and technology in a fast-changing world.
“I will also continue, as I have done for a long time now with others, to work on combating violence against women and girls; that is an issue that matters to me hugely.
“It’s work I started before I became an MP and it’s work I’m keen to continue after I’m an MP. So international affairs on the one hand, and continuing my work on violence against women and girls on the other.”
Sir Keir became prime minister after winning a landslide majority at the 2024 election, but quit No 10 after pressure from Labour MPs to stand aside.
