Keir Starmer to QUIT as MP for Holborn & St Pancras sparking London by-election battle

Former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is to quit Parliament saying he felt it was the “right time” to step down as an MP and focus on new work on international affairs.

Sir Keir was replaced by Andy Burnham as prime minister and Labour leader in July after losing the support of his party in the wake of dire local election results.

Sir Keir will step down as the MP for Holborn and St Pancras, he told the Camden New Journal.

He told the newspaper: “It has been a huge honour and privilege to represent the best constituency in the country and to have taken over from Frank Dobson, who was such a great constituency MP and a member of the last Labour government.

“I will now focus on other things and that will be international affairs including defence, security, trade and technology in a fast-changing world.

“I will also continue, as I have done for a long time now with others, work on combating violence against women and girls; that is an issue that matters to me hugely. It’s work I started before I became an MP and it’s work I’m keen to continue after I’m an MP.

“So international affairs on the one hand, and continuing my work on violence against women and girls on the other.”

He has informed local Labour constituency party staff of his decision to exit Parliament after eleven years representing the north London seat.

The move will trigger a by-election in his north London seat, providing a major test of Labour’s popularity under Mr Burnham.