KEIR STARMER stood outside 10 Downing St at 9.30 yesterday morning and announced he is quitting as Labour Party leader.
He said that Labour’s governing body has set out a timetable to replace him, with nominations opening on 9th July and ending on 16 July.
He said if there was a contest then a new leader would be in place before Parliament returns in September.
He said he would also give his successor ‘my full and unequivocal support, knowing that they will inherit a Britain that is far stronger and fairer than the one I inherited two years ago’.
Andy Burnham, who won last week’s Makerfield by-election and was sworn into Parliament as an MP yesterday, announced that he would put himself forward as a candidate in the leadership contest.
Former Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who had been viewed as Burnham’s main rival, instead offered him his backing.
Commenting, Unison union General Secretary Andrea Egan said: ‘Schools, hospitals, councils and transport – and the public service heroes working in them, keeping our country running – must be the fiscal priority, not the military and foreign wars.
‘Breaking with the failed approach of the current Labour government also requires standing up to the migrant-bashing of the far-right rather than imitating it.
‘If the next Labour leader doesn’t enact this kind of generational programme, the consequences will be dire for us all, as Farage and his failed-Tory cronies wait in the wings.’
Unite union general secretary Sharon Graham said: ‘It is critical now that Labour focuses on delivering for workers and communities. There is no time to waste, every day people are literally on their knees. Labour has one last shot to learn from the errors of the last two years. A failure to act, will result in a doomsday scenario for Labour.’
RMT General Secretary Eddie Dempsey said: ‘Only by working with trade unions, radically improving the lives of ordinary people and securing the economy to serve them, can the Labour government have any hope of winning the next general election.
‘The new Prime Minister will need to seize the opportunity to make Great British Railways a success by speeding up its roll out and ending the scourge of outsourcing. Our members will expect nothing less.’