Keir Starmer has signalled he could break his pledge not to hand out resignation honours, twice failing to rule out drawing up a list of gongs when he quits Downing Street later this month.
Starmer's Previous Stance
When he was opposition leader in 2023, Mr Starmer criticised Rishi Sunak for allowing Boris Johnson to hand out honours to allies, saying it was 'very hard to justify'. Asked at the time if he would hand out resignation honours, he said: 'No. There are other opportunities.' He added: 'Tony Blair didn't have a resignation list. It's very hard to justify … There are other avenues for that and I think it's easier to be clean about this and simply say, no, I wouldn't do it.'
U-Turn on Honours Pledge
But Mr Starmer failed to rule out nominating allies for honours as he enters his final stretch in No10. Asked if he remained committed to not producing a list, he told reporters: 'That will be done in the usual.. we'll look at that in the usual course of things.' Pressed again, he said: 'We'll look at it in the usual course of things.'
Prime Ministers are traditionally allowed to nominate people for honours after they leave Downing Street, which have to be approved by their successor and the House of Lords Appointments Commission. Liz Truss published a list despite only being in No10 for 45 days, while Boris Johnson named several aides who were embroiled in the Partygate scandal.
Starmer's Final Days in Office
He made the comments as he attended his final major international summit as Prime Minister. He is expected to formally step down on July 20, with Andy Burnham all but certain to succeed him. Mr Starmer said he had accepted the decision of his MPs, which forced his resignation last month. He said: 'I have vowed to go in good grace and to do everything I can to make sure what happens next is a success, and I really mean that. It matters to me that a Labour government succeeds. It matters to me that the country thrives, and therefore not only do I think it's the right thing to do personally for me, I genuinely think it's the right thing to do for the country, and therefore I go with good grace.'
Burnham as Successor
Mr Starmer said he thought Mr Burnham would make a good PM, noting they had worked together closely for many years. Asked if he would make a good PM, he said: 'Yes, I do. I have known him a long time.' Asked if he would be a better PM, Mr Starmer laughed, adding: 'These are things best judged by other people.'
Reflection on Premiership
But he said he believed he had left the country in a better place than when he came into office. He added: 'It's an amazing privilege to be the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. If you love your country as I do, to be able to represent your country, to sit in front of the flag, and to be the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom is the greatest privilege of my life, and I'm not going to pretend otherwise, and it's important for me to remember that every single day.'
