National

Albanese backs in UK PM amid calls for his resignation

May 11, 2026

Anthony Albanese meeting with Sir Keir Starmer — PM Anthony Albanese is hopeful his UK counterpart Sir Keir Starmer will remain at Downing Street. -AAP Image

Anthony Albanese is hopeful UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will remain at Downing Street, as the British leader comes under pressure from his party colleagues to resign.

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British MPs are calling for Sir Keir to quit after UK Labour suffered heavy losses in local elections.

The losses have intensified pressure on Sir Keir to resign after a series of scandals involving the government and low levels of popularity in opinion polls.

But Australia's prime minister has offered support to this UK counterpart.

"He is a friend of mine, and I hope that Keir Starmer continues to serve as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom," he told ABC Radio on Monday.

"We've dealt with four prime ministers of Great Britain since I was elected as prime minister, and the revolving door of leaders does not lead to stability."

While Mr Albanese usually sidesteps questions on the domestic politics of allies, he said stability was needed in the UK.

"We've had in Australia, of course, we had four elected prime ministers removed in a relatively short period of time," he said.

"I don't want to see the UK go down the road that Australia went."

Many of the local council seats held by Labour and major parties in Great Britain were picked up by the right wing Reform UK, led by former Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage.

Comparisons have been drawn between the rise of Reform UK in Britain and Pauline Hanson's One Nation in Australia, as both were once fringe political parties now competing in the polls with established parties.

Sir Keir was elected as prime minister in 2024 in one of the UK's largest landslide victories in modern political history.

However, following the scale of local election defeats, more than 20 MPs within his ranks have called for him to resign.

In order for a leadership challenge to take place, 20 per cent of UK Labour MPs would need to call for a vote, which would be 81 of the 403 in parliament.