London: UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is the latest leader threatened by the country's decade-long political volatility after a damaging setback for the Labour Party in last week's elections. The elections, held across Scotland, Wales, and 136 English local authorities, were the largest electoral test since Labour's landslide victory in the 2024 general election.

According to Anadolu Agency, the results across England were disastrous for the Labour Party. Defending just over 2,500 seats, Labour won only 1,068 and lost 1,496, while Reform UK increased its number of councillors by 1,451 seats -- the largest gain among all contenders. In Wales, Labour suffered a historic defeat in the Senedd elections, losing a national election vote for the first time in over 100 years. In Scotland, the Scottish National Party retained power for a fifth consecutive term.

Although Starmer has expressed that he will "get on with governing," more than 80 lawmakers, as well as some of his Cabinet members, have called for him to resign immediately, or set a timetable for his leave. On Thursday, Wes Streeting resigned as UK health secretary citing the electoral loss as a driving factor in his decision.

In his resignation letter, Streeting said he has lost confidence in Starmer's leadership. He is not alone in voicing concerns about Starmer's leadership. Streeting is the first Cabinet minister and 5th minister overall to resign after Jess Phillips, Miatta Fahnbulleh, Alex Davies-Jones and Zubir Ahmed.

Since David Cameron resigned in 2016 after the Brexit referendum, there have been five UK prime ministers: Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak, and Keir Starmer. This means that the UK, on average, has had a new prime minister every two years. However, this level of political volatility is not unprecedented. There were seven governments between 1827-1835, eight between 1852-1868 and seven between 1922-1937.

The difference this time around is that the current instability is unusual compared to the last 47 years. Between 1979-2016, Britain had only five prime ministers: Margaret Thatcher, John Major, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, and David Cameron.

Here's a look at the last five prime ministers of the UK.

Theresa May served as prime minister after David Cameron, struggling with Brexit negotiations and eventually resigning after Parliament rejected her withdrawal agreement multiple times. Boris Johnson succeeded her, finalizing the Brexit deal but eventually resigning amid the 'Partygate' scandal. Liz Truss followed but resigned after just 50 days due to unpopular economic policies. Rishi Sunak's tenure saw continued support for Ukraine and a historic defeat in the 2024 general election, leading to Starmer's leadership.

Keir Starmer, after a landslide victory in 2024, faced challenges like public-sector strikes and economic uncertainties. His foreign policy included support for Ukraine and recognizing the State of Palestine. Despite initial positive ratings, his approval has declined, with recent polls indicating significant public discontent and calls for his resignation.