Starmer's premiership in six charts

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. Sir Keir Starmer's premiership in six charts15 minutes ago Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleBen ChuPolicy & Analysis Correspondent, VerifyBBCAfter losing the confidence of his MPs and key members of his Cabinet, Sir Keir Starmer appeared outside Downing Street on Monday to announce his resignation as prime minister. Verify looks at the record of his time in government in key areas from immigration to energy bills since he took office in July 2024. Popularity plummetedIn August 2024, just a month after taking office, a YouGov poll suggested that only 36% of people thought Sir Keir was doing well as prime minister and 43% said he was doing badly, giving him a net popularity rating of minus 7.

This month 74% said he was doing badly, versus 18% who thought he was doing well, suggesting his net popularity had slipped to minus 56. Other polling from Ipsos suggests that Sir Keir's personal ratings among voters fell below his predecessors as prime minister in modern times, including Rishi Sunak, Boris Johnson and Theresa May. Sir John Curtice: The dramatic Tory decline behind Labour's landslideEconomic growth picked upLabour's manifesto pledged "to secure the highest sustained growth in the G7", made up of the US, the UK, Japan, France, Italy, Germany and Canada.

The Details

There had been some progress. Between the second quarter of 2024 - just before Labour came to power - and the first quarter of 2026 data from the OECD suggests that the UK economy grew by 2. 3% in total, faster than the rest of the G7, apart from the US which grew by 3.

7% over that same period. And the UK economy did register the fastest growth among the G7 nations in the first quarter of 2026, when it expanded by 0. But most forecasters do not expect this performance to last, partly because of the energy shock from the US conflict with Iran.

The International Monetary Fund's (IMF) latest forecast suggests UK GDP growth over 2026 as a whole will fall to 0. 8% in 2026, which would be lower than the forecast for the US (2. The IMF also projects weaker growth for the UK than the US and Canada in 2027.

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Chris Mason: Potential leadership challengers jostle for positionHow would a Labour leadership contest work? At a glance: Starmer fights to stay on as prime ministerImmigration fellOn small boats, Sir Keir pledged to "smash the gangs" behind them but these Channel crossings have continued under his premiership. Last year's total was the second highest after 2022's peak under the previous Conservative government and total crossing under his premiership have passed the milestone of 200,000 since 2018.

However, there are signs of a slowdown in the rate of arrivals. The number of crossings detected so far in 2026 is down 41% on the same period in 2025. Under Labour overall immigration to the UK and net migration (the difference between immigration and emigration) have both fallen significantly.

The story has become one of the most prominent items on the global agenda.