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5 min readStarmergeddon: British PM resigns
Keir Starmer stood outside 10 Downing Street on Friday morning and told the country he was done. "I have spoken to his Majesty the King this morning to inform him of my decision," he said. "I will resign as leader of the Labour Party." Only two years after Labour won a resounding general election victory, Starmer had lost the support of both the country and his party. The question his parliamentary party had been asking, he explained, was whether he was best placed to lead them into the next election. "I have heard the answer," he said, "and I accept that answer with good grace." Britain will soon have its seventh prime minister in ten years.
The fall of Keir Starmer
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What you'll learn
- 1 (01:40) **Starmer Resigns as British PM** - Keir Starmer announces his resignation after losing the support of his party, setting up a leadership transition.
- 2 (03:20) **Why Starmer Fell** - Political correspondent Hugo Jay explains the collapse of Starmer's leadership.
- 3 (05:30) **Burnham's By-Election Victory Sealed Starmer's Fate** - The scale of Andy Burnham's win in Makerfield convinced Labour MPs a change was needed.
- 4 (06:27) **Can Burnham Unite Labour?** - Burnham is seen as a winner, but his policy platform is unclear.
- 5 (08:20) **Is Britain Ungovernable?** - The country's seventh PM in ten years reflects poor governance, not an ungovernable system.
- 6 (11:04) **Colombia Elects Right-Wing President** - Álvaro Delaspre wins the tightest runoff in decades, defeating the incumbent's "Total Peace" policy.
- 7 (13:18) **Delaspre's "Manoduro" Security Plan** - The new president promises an aggressive crackdown on gangs, but faces economic and political constraints.
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Guests on this episode
Show Notes
After winning a resounding victory for Britain’s Labour party two years ago, Sir Keir Starmer has announced his departure. As the country gets ready for its 7th prime minister in ten years, our correspondent asks if it has become ungovernable. A Trump-loving right winger wins Colombia’s presidency. And “Toy Story 5” sets the toys against technology.
Guests and host:
- Hugo Gye, Britain political editor
- Hal Hodson, Americas editor
- Alexandra Suich Bass, culture editor
- Rosie Blau, co-host of “The intelligence”
Topics covered:
- Keir Starmer, Andy Burnham, Britain, Labour
- Colombia, Abelardo de la Espriella, cocaine
- Toy Story 5, tech, screen time
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