Sir Keir Starmer has declared 'my work is done' and 'I go with a smile' in his final speech as Prime Minister, delivered outside 10 Downing Street before heading to Buckingham Palace to offer his resignation to the King. He was joined by his wife Lady Victoria Starmer, colleagues, and friends.
The departing premier said the country was 'stronger and fairer' than when Labour took office, adding: 'I am about to visit His Majesty the King to offer my resignation and close the book on my time as Prime Minister. My work is done.'
Reflecting on his tenure, Starmer noted: 'In six and a half years, I took our party from a historic defeat in 2019, changed it so it was fit to face the country and won a landslide general election victory in 2024. Since then, it has been the privilege of my life to serve you and this great country as Prime Minister, and I am confident that Britain is now stronger and fairer than it was two years ago.'
Starmer's Final Exit and Handover to Burnham
His final departure from No 10 was notably quieter than when he announced his resignation, as a Metropolitan Police ban prevented protesters, including anti-Brexit campaigner Steve Bray, from playing loud music outside Downing Street to drown out his words. Starmer stated: 'I go with good grace, I go with a smile, and I go proud of everything that we have achieved.'
Starmer confirmed he would 'pass the baton' to Andy Burnham, the incoming prime minister. Burnham, who won the Makerfield by-election, has hinted at tax cuts as part of a package to ease cost-of-living pressures. He told The Times that 'frustration' about the five-year-long freeze in the tax-free income tax allowance of £12,570 had 'lodged in my mind' during his campaign. Addressing critics who claim he wants to hike taxes, Burnham said: 'They're just characterising me as a tax raiser. Well, again, it's never that simplistic, is it?'
Burnham's 10-Year Plan and First Speech
Burnham outlined a '10-year plan for the country', adding: 'I think that's what it needs. I'm not saying that means I'm setting out to say I'm going to be here for 10 years. It's more that we're not in the right place structurally.' In his first Downing Street speech, which he will deliver without the lectern used by previous prime ministers, he will promise to give people 'breathing room' against the rising cost of living. He will urge the country to be honest about the challenges it faces and call for 'reflection and resolution'. He will also say he is 'acutely conscious' that the UK has had seven prime ministers in a little over 10 years, stressing the need for more stable and responsible politics and pledging to restore faith in government.
