By Korede Onabanjo – 23 June 2026
On the 22nd of June 2026, Sir Keir Starmer announced to the public that he would be resigning as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom following a series of political setbacks and growing pressure from members of his party. His departure raises several questions such as the future of his under-16 social media ban proposal.
Why did he resign?
Keir Starmer announced his resignation yesterday after influxes of criticism from his party members and from the public. His position as prime minister was consistently being questioned by situations like falling approval ratings and popularity, weak election results, pressure from Labour MPs, and many government policy disagreements. Keir Starmer claims resigning would be of the best interest of the Labour Party, he said “The question my party is asking now is whether I am best placed to lead us into the next general election. I have heard…and I accept that answer with good grace” during his resignation speech.
What happens next?
Following his resignation, there will be a leadership contest with nominations opening on the 9th of July and Starmer claims that a new leader will be in place “before Parliament returns in September”. Starmer has informed the public that he will be remaining as Prime Minister until the contest is complete, and promises to give his successor his “full and unequivocal support”.
What does this mean for the proposed Under-16 Social Media Ban?
As of now, it is quite uncertain what will happen to the Under-16 social media ban. There are multiple routes the future can go with this. Since the policy was not yet fully implemented, the new Prime Minister may abandon the proposal, modify it, or continue it as it is. Some supporters of the ban argue that it would protect the young from harmful content that lurks online, but most people, including young people, obviously, would argue against it, believing it could limit the youth’s freedom and ability to learn. So overall, the policy’s future depends wholly on the successor’s priorities.
It truly is strange that the last person to serve a full term as Prime Minister in the UK was David Cameron from 2010 to 2016, nonetheless, Starmer’s resignation marks another significant moment in British politics. As the race for the next prime minister begins, the future of Keir Starmer’s Under-16 social media ban still raises questions and speculation from many of the country’s young people wondering where the proposal is heading.
