Keir Starmer, who led the Labour Party to a landslide victory in July 2024 and ended 14 years of Conservative rule, is expected to outline a timetable for stepping down as UK Prime Minister as early as Monday, June 22, 2026.

The move comes after weeks of mounting pressure from within his own party, a dynamic that shifted sharply in the last 48 hours according to multiple reports from BBC, Reuters, and The Guardian.

What happened inside Labour

The catalyst appears to be Andy Burnham’s strong performance in a recent by-election, which supercharged existing doubts about Starmer’s ability to hold the party together.

Starmer has historically resisted pressure to resign. Some ministers have publicly expressed skepticism that an announcement is truly imminent, but even the skeptics acknowledge that Starmer is actively weighing his options in light of the changing political landscape.

Adding an unusual international dimension, US President Donald Trump publicly declared that Starmer “will resign.”

The crypto connection

In March 2026, Starmer’s government imposed a moratorium on crypto donations to political parties, citing risks related to illicit finance and foreign interference. The ban was part of a broader push toward financial transparency in political fundraising.

That moratorium made the UK one of the more restrictive major economies when it comes to the intersection of crypto and politics. A change in leadership doesn’t automatically mean a change in policy, but leadership transitions create windows where previously settled regulatory questions get reopened. The crypto donation ban was a Starmer-era initiative, and its survival under a successor is far from guaranteed.

What this means for investors

The EU has its MiCA framework. The US is actively debating stablecoin legislation. If the UK enters a period of political transition that delays or dilutes its own crypto regulatory agenda, it risks falling behind in the race to attract digital asset businesses.

Starmer hasn’t officially confirmed his departure, and the difference between “expected to announce a timetable” and “actually resigning” is meaningful. A timetable could mean weeks or months of transition, during which the current regulatory framework stays intact.