Despite the sagging popularity at home that cost him his job, foreign affairs were often seen as a strength during Starmer’s premiership.
He worked closely with French President Emmanuel Macron to establish the so-called Coalition of the Willing in support of Ukraine, reset ties with China, recognised a Palestinian state and had mixed success in efforts to build relations with United States President Donald Trump.
The newspaper report did not give a timeframe for when an election would be held for Starmer’s seat in the constituency of Holborn and St Pancras.
Starmer comfortably held the seat in 2024 with a majority of just over 11,500, though an independent candidate who campaigned primarily on opposition to Israel’s war in Gaza took nearly 19 per cent of the vote.
He was replaced as prime minister in July by Andy Burnham, who became Britain’s seventh prime minister in a decade.
Burnham’s accession has led to a bounce in the polls for Labour, though he faces a sterner test when parliament resumes later on Tuesday.
