British PM Starmer to resign, sets out timetable for departure:Report

Britain's Observer newspaper said Prime Minister Keir Starmer was expected to resign on Monday and set ‌out a timetable for his departure, though a government source said Starmer remained focused on getting on with the job of governing. The report said that Starmer had reached the conclusion that his position as Prime Minister was no longer tenable after speaking to cabinet ministers, advisers, donors and trade union leaders. These conversations are believed to have played a key role in shaping his decision-making process, as concerns reportedly grew over leadership stability and internal political pressure within the Labour Party.According to the report, Starmer was discussing the matter with his wife at his Chequers country residence before making a final decision. It also added that senior Labour figures expected a clear statement on his future as early as Monday.
The threat to Starmer's position, which has been building for months, increased sharply on Friday when his rival Andy Burnham won a seat in parliament that would allow him to ​launch a formal leadership challenge. Burnham, a 56-year-old career politician, is seen by many in Labour as the most likely successor to Starmer - whether through a negotiated transfer of power or a formal leadership contest. Having built a power base within Labour as mayor of Greater Manchester in northern England, he comfortably saw off the threat from Nigel Farage's right-wing populist party to win an election for a vacant parliamentary seat on Friday. Burnham has led the Greater Manchester region since 2017, overseeing rapid regeneration for the city where the Industrial Revolution was forged. 
However, a government source told Reuters that Starmer remained focused on his job and pointed to previous statements he has made to that effect. Starmer on Friday said he would fight any challenge, which is expected to come from Andy Burnham, who recently won a parliamentary seat. “I am not going to walk away,” he said. Most in the Labour Party argue that the longer Starmer resists, the more damaging his exit will be. More than 100 elected lawmakers in Starmer's party - roughly a quarter of all Labour representatives in the House of Commons - have publicly said they want him to quit or set out a timetable for his exit, according to a Reuters tally.