Keir Starmer to step down as MP to focus on overseas affairs
Keir Starmer is to step down as an MP triggering a by-election battle for Labour in a key London seat.
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The former Prime Minister said he was ready to “pass the baton to a successor” after leaving No10 earlier this summer. He previously said he planned to remain in Parliament until the next general election, which is expected to be in 2029.
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His announcement came hours before Andy Burnham made his first appearance as PM in the House of Commons. The former Greater Manchester mayor became Labour leader after no viable challenger emerged, paving his way to replace Mr Starmer in Downing Street in July.
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But he now faces a crunch by-election in the capital, with the Green Party already eyeing up a battle in the area. No date has been set for the contest yet but Labour on Tuesday night set a tight deadline of Friday for candidate applications.
Mr Starmer – who became an MP after an esteemed career as a barrister – said he plans to focus on international affairs and tackling violence against women and girls in his days after Parliament.
He told the told the Camden New Journal: “It has been a huge honour and privilege to represent the best constituency in the country and to have taken over from Frank Dobson, who was such a great constituency MP and a member of the last Labour government. I will now focus on other things and that will be international affairs including defence, security, trade and technology in a fast-changing world.”
Mr Starmer – who served as director of public prosecutions from 2008 to 2013 – added: “I will also continue, as I have done for a long time now with others, 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.” He added in a post on social media: “I will always remain immensely proud to have represented the place Vic, the kids and I call home.”
At the 2024 general election, Mr Starmer won a bumper majority of more than 11,500 in Holborn and St Pancras. Independent candidate Andrew Feinstein, a left-wing and pro-Palestinian activist, came second. He has since helped to build the Camden People’s Alliance, which reportedly struck up deals with the Greens during the local elections.
The Green Party – which came third in the area in 2024 – has since been making progress in London, including causing major upsets for Labour during May’s local elections.
Mr Starmer’s constituency is expected to be a key target area for the party. The by-election would also be a significant opportunity for its leader Zack Polanski – who is a London Assembly member – to try to become an MP.
Reacting to Mr Starmer standing down in the area, a Green Party spokesman told the Mirror: “Zack has always made it clear he would like to be a London MP. London has been his home for over 20 years.”
During his two years in Downing Street, Mr Starmer was praised for his work on the international stage. He fostered strong relationships with European leaders – including French President Emmanuel Macron and Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz – and was commended for his leadership in building a Coalition of the Willing to defend Ukraine.
He also balanced a tricky relationship with US President Donald Trump, shielding Britain from the worst of his erratic tariffs’ regime, while also standing up to his insults after he refused to let Britain be dragged into the US’s war with Iran.
Rumours have been swirling that Mr Starmer may be considering taking up a new job on the world stage. The UN secretary-general role will be up for grabs with its current chief António Guterres due to leave the post at the end of the year, while the Nato’s secretary general position could become vacant in 2028 if Mark Rutte’s term is not extended.
There is also a vacancy for the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, after Karim Khan was ousted in July for serious misconduct.
In his debut in the Commons as PM on Tuesday, Mr Burnham paid tribute to Mr Starmer, telling MPs he “has given this country a lifetime of public service, particularly for those fighting for justice”, including Hillsborough families.
He said Mr Starmer took the Labour Party from “one of its worst defeats” to one “its best victories”, adding that his predecessor had “created a platform to change this country for the better”. The Prime Minister added: “We will use it well and we wish his family the very best for the future.”
In a post on social media, Peter Kyle – a former Cabinet minister in Mr Starmer’s government – said: “Keir’s achievements as leader in opposition and government are too numerous for a tweet. From the pits of despair after the 2019 hammering to the euphoria of a landslide victory he led with grit, driven by a love of country. He leaves Parliament with my respect and gratitude.”
And ex-deputy prime minister David Lammy said on X that Mr Starmer “deserves enormous credit”. He continued: “In government, faced with a country wracked by austerity and left in financial ruin, he brought stability to the economy and steadied our public services. He delivered one of the most significant overhauls of renters’ and workers’ rights in a generation, drove record investments in affordable housing, and restored Britain’s standing in the world.”
Labour MP Carolyn Harris, who is a close friend of Mr Starmer, said: “Keir is one of the strongest, most principled and committed people I know. His dedication to our country has been exceptional, and to lose him as a colleague today is deeply sad.
“But anyone who knows Keir knows his talent, determination and extraordinary sense of purpose. Whatever his next chapter holds, I know he will embrace it with the same integrity, professionalism and quiet resolve that have always defined him.”
Comedy candidate Count Binface, who regularly stands in elections and came second to Nigel Farage in last month’s Clacton contest, said on social media: “Can’t get a moment’s peace on this bloody planet.”
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Tory party chair Kevin Hollinrake wished Mr Starmer and his family “well for the future” but criticised the cost of the by-election on taxpayers.