No use UK

Lower Thirds:

0:03	Report by Paul Hirst
0:15	Keir Starmer/ British Prime Minister
1:01	Keir Starmer/ British Prime Minister

(( info: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced he is stepping down. Starmer will resign as leader of the Labour Party and as prime minister, but will remain in Downing Street until Labour chooses a successor. Pary rival Andy Burnham is the favorite to replace him. Burnham has announced his candidacy.))

Script: 

It's only two years since Keir Starmer lead Labour to a landslide election victory. But his popularity with voters has collapsed since then and he's lost the trust of Labour members of Parliament.

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0:14
 The question my party is asking now is whether I am best placed to lead us into the next general election. I have heard the answer of my parliamentary party to that question, and I accept that answer with good grace. 

0:36
Starmer's government has struggled to deliver economic growth, repair public services and ease the cost of living. He's also been personally hurt by a series of missteps,

including his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson, a scandal-tarnished friend of Jeffrey Epstein, as the UK ambassador to the United States. Despite first vowing to fight a leadership challenge, Starmer decided to bow out without a battle.

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1:00
Every decision I've taken has been about putting the country I love first. That is why I will resign as Leader of the Labour Party.

Andy Burnham is the favorite to succeed Keir Starmer. The former mayor of Manchester returned to parliament today after winning a byelection last week that engineered to do just that- return him to parliament to enable a leadership challenge. Now Keir Starmer's decision has cleared that path for him. He thanked Starmer on social media.

He wrote: 
Keir has given huge service to our country and I want to thank him for his leadership and dedication during such a challenging period. 

His decision marks the beginning of a transition and it is important that this process is conducted in an orderly and responsible way. I will put myself forward as part of this process. 

The Reform Party led by Nigel Farage is topping the opinion polls nationally at the moment. And Farage put out a statement demanding a general election. 

There's so sign yet of that happening before the end of this parliamentary term in 2029.  

Burnham will feel he is the man to lead Labour into that election. He won 55 percent of the vote in the Wakerfield byelection last week.  The convincing defeat of Reform at there at the local level adds weight to his claim he has what it takes to  lead a winning campaign against Reform NATIONWIDE when Britain goes to the polls again.