Seven PMs in 10 years – Britain’s decade of ‘chaos’

n n

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer

n

Britain will have its seventh prime minister in a decade this year after Labour leader Keir Starmer was ousted on Monday by his own party.

n

The party’s self-inflicted wound was a trend set by the Conservatives when they were in office.

n

Starmer announced his resignation on Monday following months of nose-diving poll ratings and manoeuvering by his own MPs.

n

Veteran Labour politician Andy Burnham has confirmed he will seek to replace him.

n

The main opposition Tories went through five prime ministers between 2016 and July 2024 when Starmer swept to power in a landslide general election victory.

n

The rapid turnover at the top prompted Starmer — before he became prime minister — to call for an end to the “chaos” of chopping and changing leaders.

n

After less than two years, Starmer has now met a similar fate himself.

n

Here’s what happened to his predecessors:

n

David Cameron, May 2010 – July 2016

n

Britain’s decision to leave the European Union ended Cameron’s second term as prime minister.

n

After the country voted to leave in a June 2016 referendum, Cameron, who had campaigned to remain in the bloc, resigned.

n

Theresa May, July 2016 – July 2019

n

May took over amid the fallout from the Brexit referendum after a long tenure in the notoriously difficult post of interior minister.

n

She called a snap election the following year to strengthen her hand in Brexit negotiations but the move backfired when her party emerged as the biggest in parliament but without a majority.

n

Unable to get her Brexit deal through parliament, the Conservatives suffered a drubbing in European Parliament elections in May 2019, leading to her resignation.

n

Boris Johnson, July 2019 – September 2022

n

Johnson, a maverick politician famed for making a career out of breaking the rules, had to navigate the coronavirus pandemic and Britain’s departure from the European Union.

n

He led to the Conservatives to victory in the December 2019 snap general election.

n

But weakened by scandals he was eventually forced to step down following a cascade of resignations by ministers and aides.

n

Liz Truss, September 2022 – October 2022

n

Truss was prime minister for just 49 days, the shortest on record, before being ousted over her disastrous tax-cutting mini-budget.

n

Her economic agenda spooked the markets and took the UK to the brink of financial meltdown, losing her the support of her own party.

n

Rishi Sunak, October 2022 – July 2024

n

Sunak was at the helm for 20 months before losing the 2024 general election to Starmer, bringing to an end 14 years of Conservative rule.

n

He brought some stability following the Truss debacle but failed to stop bitter Tory infighting.

n

The privately wealthy former financier ultimately failed to connect with regular voters struggling with a cost-of-living crisis.

n n