Keir Starmer has announced he is standing down as the MP for Holborn and St Pancras after 11 years representing the constituency.
Speaking to the Camden New Journal, Starmer said: “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.
Starmer’s resignation as an MP comes just six weeks after Andy Burnham replaced his as prime minister. Following this, Starmer had said he would stay on as an MP until the next general election.
However, he has now said he is ready to “pass the baton to a successor.”
Starmer said he will “focus on other things and that will be international affairs including defence, security, trade and technology in a fast-changing world.”
He added: “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.”
Stepping down will trigger a by-election in the constituency and could be a potential seat for Green Party leader Zack Polanski to stand in.
And perhaps a certain intergalactic space warrior might fancy another tilt at a by-election as well.