Following the removal of Keir Starmer by his own Labour Party on Monday, the United Kingdom is set to appoint its seventh prime minister within a single decade. This internal collapse mirrors the instability previously seen during the tenure of the Conservative Party. Starmer submitted his resignation after struggling with sustained low approval ratings and internal party pressure, leading to an immediate bid for leadership by veteran politician Andy Burnham.
Between 2016 and July 2024, the Conservative opposition cycled through five different prime ministers before Starmer secured his short-lived victory in a landslide election. Ironically, Starmer had previously criticized this rapid leadership turnover as chaotic, only to face a similar downfall after less than two years in office.
The pattern of instability began with David Cameron, who stepped down following the 2016 Brexit referendum results. His successor, Theresa May, struggled to navigate Brexit negotiations and resigned after failing to secure parliamentary support for her deal. Boris Johnson later led the party through the pandemic and Brexit completion but eventually resigned amid widespread government scandals. Liz Truss served only 49 days, with her tax-cutting policies triggering economic turbulence, while Rishi Sunak provided a period of relative calm before his defeat to Starmer in the 2024 general election brought an end to 14 years of Conservative governance.
