Piers Morgan has publicly urged Keir Starmer to resign as prime minister, adding a high-profile media voice to the mounting pressure on the Labour leader after days of political upheaval inside government. In a post that blended personal praise with blunt criticism, Morgan wrote: “Keir, you’re a good man. A decent man. An Arsenal fan (always a good test of a man). When you did Life Stories, I found your remarkable journey to the top of British politics very inspiring. But this can’t go on. For the good of the country, resign.”
Keir, you’re a good man.
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) February 9, 2026
A decent man.
An Arsenal fan (always a good test of a man).
When you did Life Stories, I found your remarkable journey to the top of British politics very inspiring.
But this can’t go on.
For the good of the country, resign. @Keir_Starmer pic.twitter.com/82LK25uvVR
The intervention came as Starmer sought to steady his leadership following the most destabilising episode of his premiership so far, triggered by internal party unrest, senior resignations and an open call for him to step aside from Labour’s Scottish leader, Anas Sarwar. While Starmer has so far seen off an immediate leadership challenge and secured public backing from his cabinet, the scale of the crisis has prompted commentators across the political spectrum to question whether his position is sustainable.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar urged UK PM Keir Starmer to resign, calling Downing Street’s leadership a distraction amid aide resignations, polling declines, and controversy over Peter Mandelson’s role. Starmer refuses to step down, deepening tensions inside Labour.… pic.twitter.com/aTutGAuMQ1
— Geo Frontline (@geofrontlinetv) February 10, 2026
Morgan’s comments carry particular resonance given his past public engagement with Starmer. Their relationship is not only a personal friendship but a professional media rapport built largely through Starmer’s appearance on Morgan’s ITV programme Life Stories in 2021. During that long-form interview, Starmer spoke in detail about his upbringing, family and legal career, allowing Morgan to present him to a wide audience in a more personal and human light. Morgan later praised Starmer again after Labour’s landslide election victory in 2024, congratulating him on becoming prime minister and describing him as “a good, decent, hard-working, self-made man.”
Congrats to @Keir_Starmer on becoming our new Prime Minister. When I interviewed him for Life Stories, I concluded he’s a good, decent, hard-working, self-made man who wants the best for his country. He’s also an Arsenal fan which augurs well. I wish him every success. 👍 pic.twitter.com/3NV0IrpBiQ
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) July 5, 2024
That earlier admiration was reflected in the tone of Morgan’s latest post, which stopped short of attacking Starmer’s character and instead framed resignation as an act of responsibility. By emphasising Starmer’s decency before calling for him to step down, Morgan echoed a broader argument now circulating among critics of the government: that the crisis engulfing Downing Street has become damaging enough to outweigh the prime minister’s personal qualities.
Starmer’s leadership has been under acute strain following the resignation of his closest adviser, Morgan McSweeney, and the controversy surrounding the appointment of Peter Mandelson as the UK’s ambassador to the United States. The fallout has been compounded by the departure of Tim Allan, Starmer’s director of communications, and reports that the cabinet secretary, Chris Wormald, is negotiating his own exit as part of a wider shake-up at the top of government.
Within Labour, the episode has exposed deep anxiety about electoral prospects and authority, particularly in Scotland, where Sarwar warned that decisions taken by the UK government were undermining the party’s chances ahead of May’s Scottish parliament elections. Although senior figures including Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting have publicly backed Starmer, several MPs have privately acknowledged that the prime minister has emerged weakened.
Starmer has made clear he intends to fight on, telling Labour MPs he is “not prepared to walk away” from his mandate or to plunge the country into chaos. But with pressure coming not only from within his party but also from influential external voices such as Morgan, the coming weeks are likely to prove critical in determining whether he can stabilise his government and rebuild confidence, or whether calls for him to go will continue to grow.
