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.
The party’s self-inflicted wound was a trend set by the Conservatives when they were in office.
Starmer announced his resignation on Monday following months of nose-diving poll ratings and manoeuvering by his own MPs.
Veteran Labour politician Andy Burnham has confirmed he will seek to replace him.
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.
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.
After less than two years, Starmer has now met a similar fate himself.
Here’s a look at the rise and fall of Britain’s PMs who preceded Starmer:
David Cameron, May 2010 – July 2016
Britain’s decision to leave the European Union ended Cameron’s second term as prime minister.
After the country voted to leave in a June 2016 referendum, Cameron, who had campaigned to remain in the bloc, resigned.
Theresa May, July 2016 – July 2019
May took over amid the fallout from the Brexit referendum after a long tenure in the notoriously difficult post of interior minister.
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.
Unable to get her Brexit deal through parliament, the Conservatives suffered a drubbing in European Parliament elections in May 2019.
Despite years in government and a reputation for competence, her premiership became consumed by political deadlock.
A snap election intended to strengthen her negotiating position weakened her authority instead, while repeated failures to secure parliamentary backing for her Brexit deal ultimately forced her resignation in 2019.
Boris Johnson, July 2019 – September 2022
Johnson, a maverick politician famed for making a career out of breaking the rules, had to navigate the coronavirus pandemic and swept to power promising to “get Brexit done,” signifying Britain’s departure from the European Union.
He led to the Conservatives to victory in the December 2019 snap general election.
But weakened by scandals, including controversies over rule-breaking during the COVID-19 pandemic and was eventually forced to step down following a cascade of resignations by ministers and aides.
Liz Truss, September 2022 – October 2022
Truss was prime minister for just 49 days, the shortest on record, before being ousted over her disastrous tax-cutting mini-budget.
Her economic agenda spooked the markets and took the UK to the brink of financial meltdown, losing her the support of her own party. the shortest premiership in British history.
Her government’s sweeping tax-cut plans triggered market turmoil, sent borrowing costs soaring and undermined confidence in her leadership.
Facing mounting pressure from financial markets and her own party, she resigned after just seven weeks.
Rishi Sunak, October 2022 – July 2024
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.
He brought some stability following the Truss debacle but failed to stop bitter Tory infighting.
The privately wealthy former financier ultimately failed to connect with regular voters struggling with a cost-of-living crisis.
The former finance minister managed to calm financial markets and bring greater discipline to government, but he struggled to heal divisions within the Conservative Party.
His failure to reverse economic pressures facing households contributed to the Conservatives’ heavy defeat in the 2024 general election.
Labour’s victory under Starmer was initially seen as the start of a more stable political era. However, persistent economic challenges, declining public support and growing tensions within his own party steadily weakened his position. His resignation now means Britain will once again change leaders, continuing a pattern that has become increasingly familiar to voters.
Whoever succeeds Starmer will inherit not only the responsibilities of government but also the challenge of restoring confidence in a political system that has seen extraordinary turnover at the highest level. Ten years after the Brexit referendum transformed British politics, the search for lasting stability remains unfinished.