'Reform demands an election': Nigel Farage's reaction to Sir Keir Starmer's resignation

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has called for a general election following Sir Keir Starmer’s announcement that he will be standing down as Prime Minister.

In a speech in front of Downing Street this morning, Sir Keir said his party had asked “whether I am best placed to lead us into the next general election”. He continued: “I have heard the answer of my parliamentary party to that question, and I accept that answer with good grace.

“Every decision I have taken has been about putting the country I love first. That is why I will resign as leader of the Labour Party.”

It is expected there will be a new Prime Minister by September, the fifth in four years. Mr Farage, whose party is currently leading the polls, immediately called for a general election, saying: “Reform demands an election, and we are ready to deliver radical change.

“If Labour thinks it can shove another professional politician into No 10, it has another thing coming.”

There is no requirement for Labour to call a general election, however when both Boris Johnson and Liz Truss resigned as Prime Minister in the previous Parliament, Sir Keir called for an election.

Andy Burnham, the front-runner to replace Sir Keir, was not even an MP at the last election, with the Greater Manchester Mayor having only just returned to the Commons via a by-election in Makerfield.

Mr Burnham comfortably defeated Reform UK last Thursday in one of the seats with the biggest Brexit support in the country.

Meanwhile, Green Party leader Zack Polanski said Mr Burnham “must be bold or he will be bust” if he replaces Sir Keir in Downing Street.

Mr Polanski said: “The country needs a bold change of direction. Starmer lost the confidence of the country because of his abject failure to challenge the power and wealth of an establishment which has taken for themselves while leaving the vast majority in a cost of living crisis and facing the worst impacts of the climate and nature crisis.

“The vested interests that are holding this country back need to be confronted, with wealth taxes on the super rich, utilities taken into public ownership, rent controls and affordable housing, and an end to support for Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

“We are still waiting to see which version of Andy Burnham might going to show up in Downing Street.

“While he has talked about a change of course, the early indications are not encouraging and suggest more of the same with better communication skills.

“The time for half measures and sticking plasters is long gone – if he becomes the next PM, Burnham must be bold or he will be bust.”

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch tweeted: “Britain is not ungovernable. Keir Starmer is a terrible Prime Minister. But the problem isn’t just Starmer.

“Labour MPs only want higher taxes to hand out more benefits, as the Welfare Secretary has pointed out. These are Labour’s choices and their values, regardless of who is running the party. We need to get Britain working again. We need the Conservatives.”

Liberal Democrat Leader Sir Ed Davey said Sir Keir’s replacement would have to change “our broken politics”.

“The British people are sick of being let down by an endless merry-go-round of Prime Ministers while nothing really changes for them,” he said.

“This time must be different. It can’t just be about changing who’s in No 10, it has to be about changing our broken politics so we can fix our country.

“That means tackling the cost of living with a bold new deal with Europe, fixing social care at long last to end the NHS crisis; and giving power back to people by voting reform and giving communities more control.

“Whoever becomes Prime Minister needs to drop the caution and complacency and show the ambition our country deserves.”