‘Keir Starmer is a terrible Prime Minister’ — Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch reacts to UK PM’s resignation
The Leader of the British Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, has launched a blistering attack on outgoing UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, labelling him a “terrible Prime Minister” following his shock resignation.
Starmer announced his resignation outside 10 Downing Street on Monday morning, June 22, 2026, bowing to weeks of intense internal party pressure, policy reversals, and a severe decline in political authority following disastrous local election results.
He confirmed he will remain in office as a caretaker leader until a successor is officially chosen.
Reacting swiftly in a sharp statement posted to her official X (formerly Twitter) account, Badenoch systematically dismantled Starmer’s brief and turbulent tenure, arguing that his administration’s economic, welfare, and energy strategies have severely crippled the United Kingdom.
Badenoch’s six-point indictment against Starmer
The Tory leader listed a series of controversial policy moves that she believes led to the downfall of the Labour government:
Tax Hikes: The widely criticised decision to hike National Insurance contributions.
The Family Farm Tax: Controversial agricultural tax reforms that sparked nationwide outrage from farming communities.
Stalled Welfare Reform: Failing to implement meaningful changes to the welfare and benefit systems.
Underfunded Defense: A noticeable lack of financial commitment to Britain’s national security and military defence infrastructure.
Energy Insecurity: Reluctance to greenlight and expand domestic oil and gas drilling operations in the North Sea.
The Mandelson Scandal: The highly controversial appointment of Peter Mandelson as the UK Ambassador to the United States, followed by alleged transparency failures surrounding the decision.
“The problem isn’t just Starmer”- Kemi Badenoch
Badenoch went on to argue that the root of the United Kingdom’s ongoing structural issues extends far beyond Starmer’s personal leadership failures, placing the blame squarely on the collective ideology of the Labour Party.
“Britain is not ungovernable. Keir Starmer is a terrible Prime Minister. But the problem isn’t just Starmer,” Badenoch wrote. “Labour MPs only want higher taxes to hand out more benefits… These are Labour’s choices and their values, regardless of who is running the party.”
Concluding her statement, Badenoch called for a swift return to right-of-centre leadership to salvage the nation’s output. “We need to get Britain working again. We need the Conservatives,” she stressed.
The political shakeup marks an unprecedented era of volatility in British politics, as the country prepares to welcome its seventh prime minister within a single decade.
Turnout and polling suggest that Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham is currently the frontrunner to take over the mantle of leadership.
