UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been rumoured to be announcing his resignation as his support within the UK Labour Party collapses.
The Observer has reported senior Labour figures expected a clear statement on Mr Starmer’s future as early as Monday.
The Telegraph said allies believed Mr Starmer had concluded “the game is up” and was now considering how to “shore up his legacy”.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told Sky News Sunday Agenda that another change of leadership in Britain would not be a good idea.
“I must say that the history of just changing leaders is not a positive one. I’ve dealt with already four British prime ministers since I’ve been elected as prime minister,” he said.
When asked whether he would urge stability, Mr Albanese replied: “I think stability is a good thing … There’s been a lot of chaos has occurred in global politics.”
Pressure on Mr Starmer intensified after Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham won the Makerfield byelection on Friday, setting him up to challenge Mr Starmer.
The Observer reported Mr Starmer was discussing his future with his wife at his Chequers country residence after consulting cabinet ministers.
Government sources quoted by The Telegraph said there had been “quite a bit of movement” among cabinet ministers following Mr Burnham’s victory.
Another source warned that if Mr Starmer refused to resign “we could end up in mass resignation territory”.
However, another government source said Mr Starmer remained focused on his job and pointed to previous statements he has made to that effect.
The British leader said on Friday he would fight any challenge to his leadership and urged Labour not to tear itself apart with infighting.
Mr Starmer led the centre-left Labour party to a landslide election win in 2024 but has become deeply unpopular after a series of scandals and policy U-turns.
If he were to quit or be ousted, it would mean the country installing its seventh prime minister in just over a decade.
This marks the highest turnover in nearly two centuries, reflective of anger at successive governments’ failures to improve public services or illegal immigration.
More than 100 elected lawmakers in Mr Starmer’s party have publicly said they want him to quit or set out a timetable for his exit, according to a Reuters tally.
Mr Burnham, a 56-year-old career politician, has been seen as the most likely successor to Mr Starmer, either through a negotiated transfer of power or a formal leadership contest.
Sky News / Reuters