Former prime minister Keir Starmer takes Buckinghamshire-linked role after resignation
Former prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has officially taken up a new position linked to Buckinghamshire following his resignation as an MP.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer appointed Sir Keir as Steward and Bailiff of the Three Chiltern Hundreds on Tuesday.
Despite its grand title, the unpaid position is not a conventional job and carries no duties or responsibilities in Buckinghamshire. Instead, the historic office exists to allow MPs to leave the House of Commons because they are technically not permitted to resign their seats.
“Under a centuries-old parliamentary rule dating back to 1624, MPs cannot directly resign their seats. Appointment to the role disqualifies an MP from sitting in the Commons, meaning Sir Keir has now formally ceased to be the MP for Holborn and St Pancras.”
HM Treasury announced: “The Chancellor of the Exchequer has this day appointed Sir Keir Starmer to be Steward and Bailiff of the Three Hundreds of Chiltern.”
The Three Hundreds of Chiltern refers to the historic Buckinghamshire administrative areas of Stoke, Desborough and Burnham. The office once carried administrative duties and provided an income, but it now has no responsibilities and is unpaid.
It was first used as a way for an MP to leave Parliament in 1751. A second nominal position, Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead, is also used for MPs wishing to step down. The two offices are generally used alternately.
Sir Keir’s appointment formally ends his 11 years in the House of Commons and will trigger a by-election in his north London constituency. He resigned as prime minister in July and has said he now plans to focus on international affairs.
In July, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage was made the Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead, Scarborough, following his decision to resign as an MP and fight to reclaim his seat.
“The Steward and Bailiffs of the Chiltern Hundreds and of the Manor of Northstead were positions traditionally paid for by the Crown.
“In modern times, they are unpaid, formal titles that are applied for when an MP needs to disqualify themselves from the Commons,” the UK Parliament website states.
Announcing his resignation in an interview with the Camden New Journal, Sir Keir, who has been an MP since 2015, said: “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 combatting violence against women and girls.”