Keir Starmer to step down as MP and force London by-election

Craig Munro | Senior Politics Reporter Published September 1, 2026 12:23pm Updated September 1, 2026 12:23pm Sir Keir Starmer said he plans to focus on international affairs (Picture: Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publishing via Getty Images) Former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has announced he will step down as an MP, triggering a by-election in his north London seat. Starmer, who resigned as Labour leader and PM in July amid mounting criticism of his leadership, told his local newspaper the Camden New Journal it was time to ‘pass the baton to a successor’. He said: ‘I will now focus on other things and that will be international affairs including defence, security, trade and technology in a fast-changing world. ‘I will also continue, as I have done for a long time now with others, work on