The most famous cat in the United Kingdom is already waiting for a new owner at Downing Street

LondonThe UK's most famous cat is waiting for a new owner. Larry, adopted by the Prime Minister's office and officially named chief mouse-catcher of the cabinet in February 2011, saw on Sunday that journalists, photographers, and television cameras had gathered outside the door of 10 Downing Street awaiting events. While the big animal ensured that no stranger – and even less so any rodent – crossed the threshold of the cute but uncomfortable Georgian house on the famous Whitehall alley, Keir Starmer spent the weekend at Chequers, his official country residence, just over sixty kilometers northwest of London.

A discreet retreat to reflect on his political future which, at this point, already seems decided. It has been a slow-motion fall. Officially, however, he has not yet retracted his words from Friday, when he assured that he would stand firm against any attempt to oust him.

But this Sunday, one of his now few allies, Trade Minister Peter Kyle, stated in an interview with the BBC that Starmer "is very aware of the political challenges ahead of him, and he wants to listen to people and reflect on what they are telling him"; a way of implying that he has realized he has no support.

The pressure is immense and the only major unknown to be resolved is the timetable he will set for an orderly transfer of power. Indeed, most of the British press assures that he will announce it first thing this Monday from the door of Downing Street. Not even Larry will be able to prevent the triumphant entry, not of a stranger, but of the Mayor of Manchester, Andy Burnham, who will become the seventh premierof the last decade, precisely since the Brexit referendum (June 23, 2016), a plebiscite that has haunted the country and heads of government like a curse ever since.

To top it off, the President of the United States, Donald Trump, has also weighed in, explaining in one of his messages the reasons for Starmer's departure, in his opinion: "He has failed miserably on two very important issues: immigration and energy (Open up North Sea oil). I wish him the best!". An opinion that speaks less about the reasons for Starmer's fall than about Trump's interests.

Without authority

On Friday morning, following his victory in the partial election in Makerfield, in northern England, the still mayor Burnham – who will take office this Monday and resign as mayor of the great northern city – has established himself as the only solid alternative to Starmer. With dizzying speed, the credit that the premier achieved in the July 2024 elections has gone down the drain.

Mortally worn down like the cherry on a bitter cake by the electoral catastrophe of the local elections at the beginning of May, this was only the culmination of a series of inexplicable mistakes and changes of course that have burdened his two years in government. Five weeks ago, almost a hundred of his MPs already asked him to step down. At the same time, prominent ministers in his government also joined the fray: Yvette Cooper, for Foreign Affairs, David Miliband, for Energy; Shabana Mahmood, for the Interior. At that time, the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, resigned, and last week the Defence Secretary, John Healey, did so. In the last 48 hours, Heidi Alexander, head of the Transport portfolio, has joined the demand for his departure.

As is customary, British politics finds in Shakespeare a recurring mirror, whether in tragedies, historical dramas, or comedies. And Starmer's farewell, which can also be read as a new echo of the Brexit earthquake, admits parallels with Richard III, Henry IV, or King Lear. In Richard III, the dramatic core revolves around who holds legitimate authority to wear the crown. In Henry IV, the conflict is articulated between the king who occupies the throne and the charismatic rival who challenges him from the outside. In the case of King Lear, authority unravels as the monarch discovers, too late, that power only exists as long as others agree to obey him. Similarly, Starmer's authority has been eroding to the point that he himself has had to accept that a significant part of the party no longer recognizes him as leader.

the scandal surrounding Peter Mandelson's appointmentThe study, conducted before Burnham's victory in Makerfield, also indicates a clear preference as a hypothetical prime minister, with 45% of support, far above Keir Starmer (24%), Angela Rayner (7%), and Wes Streeting (4%). A second survey, among 4,000 education workers affiliated with the union, is even more critical: 66% state that the Labour government is performing below expectations.

In the recent history of British politics, Starmer will be remembered as the ultimate example of a bluff, who reached office not because he aroused any enthusiasm among the electorate, but due to the weariness of years of Conservative government, and the economic failure of Brexit. In any case, among the most controversial episodes of the still premier are the withdrawal of heating assistance for millions of pensioners, cuts or reforms in certain social benefits, and a flat economy. Added to this is the scandal surrounding the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington, despite his known ties to the pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Starmer appointed him and had to dismiss him nine months later (September 2025). All this has contributed to the image of a cautious, technocratic, and continuity government, without ambition, project, or narrative, far from the profound change the country expected after fourteen years of Conservative governments.

Whether Starmer makes the announcement of his departure this Monday or in the coming days, it is certain that there is no turning back. Meanwhile, the Labour Party is debating what the succession will be like. Whether it will be a coronation for Burnham or if there will be at least one more candidate with 81 parliamentarians willing to support him to, at the very least, hold a leadership race.