Britain will have had seven prime ministers in ten years after Labour leader Keir Starmer was ousted by his party on Monday. This chaotic trend has been on-going in the UK over the past decade, with even the main opposition Conservative party having five prime ministers between 2016 and 2024.

The Conservative party, which was in power for 14 years, had David Cameron as their prime minister from 2010 to 2016. Cameron's second term as prime minister ended in 2016 after Britain's decision to leave the European Union, a move he had campaigned against.

Theresa May took over as prime minister in 2016 after a long tenure in the interior ministry, but her tenure was cut short in 2019 after her party suffered a drubbing in European Parliament elections. May had called a snap election the previous year to strengthen her hand in Brexit negotiations but her move backfired when her party emerged as the biggest in parliament but without a majority.

Boris Johnson, a maverick politician, took over in 2019, leading the Conservatives to victory in the December 2019 snap general election. However, Johnson was eventually forced to step down in 2022 following a cascade of resignations by ministers and aides.

Liz Truss took over as prime minister in 2022 for just 49 days, the shortest tenure 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.

Rishi Sunak, a former financier, took over in 2022 and ruled for 20 months before losing the 2024 general election to Starmer. Sunak's tenure was marked by bitter Tory infighting and his inability to connect with regular voters struggling with a cost-of-living crisis.

Keir Starmer, who took over as prime minister just a year ago, has now met a similar fate as his predecessors. He announced his resignation on Monday following months of nose-diving poll ratings and manoeuvering by his own MPs.

Andy Burnham, a veteran Labour politician, has confirmed he will seek to replace Starmer. Burnham's bid to become the seventh prime minister in a decade will be closely watched by the public and the international community.

Key Facts

  • Britain will have had seven prime ministers in ten years
  • Labour leader Keir Starmer was ousted by his party on Monday
  • The Conservative party had five prime ministers between 2016 and 2024
  • Boris Johnson's tenure was cut short in 2022 following a cascade of resignations by ministers and aides
  • Liz Truss took over as prime minister in 2022 for just 49 days
  • Rishi Sunak ruled for 20 months before losing the 2024 general election to Starmer