17 favourite early reactions to Keir Starmer’s not-very-shocking resignation

After much speculation and slightly less than two years as prime minister, Keir Starmer has announced his resignation.

The moment the internet was sure that the writing was on the wall wasn’t the election of Andy Burnham to the constituency of Makerfield. Nor was it the Truth Social post by Donald Trump announcing that Starmer would be stepping down.

It was this –

🚨 NEW: The "Hot Podium Guy" has arrived at No 10 pic.twitter.com/lFKeSF1itc

— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) June 22, 2026

Consider that the political version of the fat lady singing.

He shared his resignation speech live, announcing that a new leader will be chosen during the summer recess.

Watch live: My statement. https://t.co/MX7ga3FRGq

— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) June 22, 2026

That soundtrack was provided by the anti-Brexit campaigner, Steve Bray, just in case you thought the Downing Street staff had made a really strange staging decision.

The usual suspects added insult to injury.

Starmer resigns – he has been a truly disgraceful Prime Minister.

I do not believe him to be a good man or a patriot.

He has deliberately and rapidly accelerated the destruction of our Britain, of our home.

History will not remember him kindly, nor should it.

I sat in…

— Rupert Lowe MP (@RupertLowe10) June 22, 2026

Hiking national insurance
The Family Farm Tax
Giving up on real welfare reform
Not funding our defence
Not drilling our own oil and gas
Appointing Peter Mandelson…then lying about what had happened

Britain is not ungovernable. Keir Starmer is a terrible Prime Minister. But…

— Kemi Badenoch (@KemiBadenoch) June 22, 2026

It wasn’t all tears and tributes from the rest of the internet, either.

1.

Explaining to other countries that every few months a Prime Minister makes a resignation speech while any old prick stands fifty yards away and plays a song of their choosing.

— Fergus Craig (@FergusCraig) June 22, 2026

2.

Oh Jesus emergency pods are sure to abound

— Al Murray 🇺🇦 (@almurray) June 22, 2026

3.

Embarrassing day for Britain.

— Matthew Stadlen (@MatthewStadlen) June 22, 2026

4.

Starmerologists will have enjoyed the bitterness of that speech

— Scott Wortley (@Scott_Wortley) June 22, 2026

5.

Either Keir Starmer is resigning or I've got a new scratching post. pic.twitter.com/Zi94ugNGoy

— Larry the Cat (@Number10cat) June 22, 2026

6.

If people genuinely believe Burnham won’t receive the exact same media onslaught, they’ve not been paying attention.

Starmer is not, objectively, bad. This idea that he is somehow the worst PM in British history is frankly laughable.

Liz truss lasted 49 days, crashed the pound…

— Jack Dart (@JackWDart) June 21, 2026

7.

Save the sympathy for Starmer. He enthusiastically endorsed Epstein bestie Peter Mandelson for US Ambassador, and that alone should’ve forced his resignation.

— Jason Reid (@JasonReidx) June 22, 2026

8.

hahahaha lecturn man is back again pic.twitter.com/bM4aUvEFa7

— Scott Bryan (@scottygb) June 22, 2026

9.

My conspiracy theory is that Prime Ministers keep resigning solely to prop up the Big Podium lobby.

— Tokyo Sexwhale (@tokyosexwhale) June 22, 2026