Seven PMs in 10 years - Britain’s decade of ‘chaos’

Britain is bracing for its seventh prime minister in a decade as Labour leader Keir Starmer was ousted by his own party on Monday. This marks a continuation of political instability, a trend previously set by the Conservative party during their years in office.

Starmer announced his resignation following months of declining poll ratings and internal maneuvering by his party's Members of Parliament. Veteran Labour politician Andy Burnham has confirmed his intention to seek the leadership position. The Conservative Party itself experienced a rapid succession of leaders, with five prime ministers serving between 2016 and July 2024, when Starmer initially came to power in a landslide victory.

Before his own ousting, Starmer had previously called for an end to the "chaos" of frequent leadership changes. Now, after less than two years in the role, he has met a similar fate to his predecessors.

The article briefly outlines the tenures of recent prime ministers: David Cameron (2010-2016), whose term ended with the Brexit referendum; Theresa May (2016-2019), who struggled with Brexit negotiations; Boris Johnson (2019-2022), who navigated the pandemic and Brexit but resigned amid scandals; Liz Truss (September-October 2022), who served the shortest term on record after her economic policies spooked markets; and Rishi Sunak (2022-2024), who lost the general election to Starmer after 20 months, ending 14 years of Conservative rule.

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