Starmer, who won one of the biggest landslides in British political history, is out after less than two years. The sixth leader to quit in 10 years.

The highest rate of political turnover in almost two centuries. Like his predecessors, Starmer failed to stem popular anger over living standards, which have stagnated since the 2008 financial crash, while ballooning national debt due to global shocks like the Covid pandemic has shackled government ‌spending.

The failure to tackle illegal immigration has also sown deep political divisions.

Anthony Seldon, a historian who has charted the fortunes of UK prime ministers in books such as The Impossible Office, said Britain was in a very deep hole after Starmer and predecessors such as Liz Truss and Boris Johnson failed to inspire confidence and trust by setting out a clear narrative. Referring to Starmer’s likely successor, he said: “If Andy Burnham fails as prime minister, the outlook for Britain is bleak”.

Britain was once seen as a pillar of political and economic stability, home to leaders such as Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair whose combined 21 years in power helped reshape modern Britain.