Former British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced that he will step down as the Member of Parliament for Holborn and St Pancras after 11 years representing the north London constituency, bringing his parliamentary career to an end.
Starmer said on Tuesday that he had decided to leave the House of Commons after considering his future following his resignation as prime minister. His departure will trigger a by-election to elect a new MP for the constituency, although no date has yet been announced.
In a statement, Starmer said he would now turn his attention to international affairs, particularly defence, security, trade and technology, while continuing his work to combat violence against women and girls.
“I will now focus on other things and that will be international affairs including defence, security, trade and technology in a fast-changing world,” he said.
Starmer added that tackling violence against women and girls remained an issue of particular importance to him and that he would continue working on it with others.
His decision marks a significant change from his earlier intention to remain in Parliament until the next general election, scheduled for 2029. When he resigned as prime minister, Starmer had indicated that he planned to continue serving as a backbench MP.
Starmer entered Parliament in 2015, succeeding Labour MP Frank Dobson as representative for Holborn and St Pancras. He won the seat with 29,062 votes and a majority of 17,048, securing 52.9 per cent of the vote.
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He was re-elected in 2017 and 2019 before winning again at the 2024 general election. On the current constituency boundaries, Starmer secured 18,884 votes, or 48.9 per cent, with a majority of 11,572. Turnout was 54.1 per cent.
During his time in Parliament, Starmer rose rapidly through Labour’s ranks. A former human rights lawyer and Director of Public Prosecutions, he became Labour leader in 2020 following the party’s defeat at the 2019 general election.
He subsequently led Labour to a decisive victory in the July 2024 general election, becoming prime minister after the party ended 14 years of Conservative-led government.
His tenure at Downing Street, however, was cut short. Starmer resigned as prime minister in June 2026 following mounting political pressure and was succeeded by Andy Burnham in July.
Starmer’s parliamentary departure comes on the same day Burnham is due to make his first statement in the House of Commons as prime minister. Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester, took over as Labour leader and prime minister after Starmer’s resignation.
The decision also places Holborn and St Pancras at the centre of an impending by-election. The constituency has historically been a strong Labour seat and has been represented by Labour MPs since its creation in 1983.
This represents the end of more than a decade in the Commons and a political career that took him from the backbenches to the leadership of the opposition and, ultimately, the country’s highest political office.
The forthcoming by-election will determine who succeeds him as MP for Holborn and St Pancras, while Starmer has indicated that his next chapter will focus primarily on international issues and his long-standing campaign against violence against women and girls.
The Cable
