Former British PM Keir Starmer to step down as MP and focus on 'international affairs'

Keir Starmer, the former British Prime Minister, has announced his decision to step down as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Holborn and St Pancras, a seat he has held since 2015. According to the Toronto Sun, he informed the Labour Party of his decision to leave Parliament after 11 years, six of those as leader of the party. This move will trigger a by-election in the London seat.

Starmer, who led the Labour party to a landslide general election win in 2024, as reported by Euronews, stated that it is the "right time" to resign as the MP for Holborn and St Pancras, as quoted by the South China Morning Post. He plans to focus on "international affairs", including defence, security, trade, and technology, as mentioned in a statement to the Camden New Journal newspaper, reported by GBC Ghana.

Starmer also expressed his intention to continue working on combating violence against women and girls, an issue that matters to him greatly, as reported by GBC Ghana. His resignation as MP and Prime Minister earlier in the summer, with Andy Burnham replacing him, had sparked speculation about his future plans.

Brief written by urgent.news from Euronews, Toronto Sun, Le Monde English, South China Morning Post, GBC Ghana — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.