Outgoing Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer hosted a reception at Downing Street on Tuesday, thanking campaigners whose causes he championed in office for helping to 'shape me and make me who I am.' He vowed to continue supporting their fights for justice even after leaving No 10.
Starmer's Final Days in Office
Speaking shortly before guiding the Hillsborough Law through its final Commons stages, Starmer praised the families who fought for justice after the 1989 disaster. The reception included guests such as John and Penny Clough, who campaigned for bail law changes after the murder of their daughter Jane; Figen Murray, who pushed for public safety reforms after her son Martyn Hett died in the Manchester Arena bombing; and Pooja Kanda, who championed tougher knife laws after her son Ronan was stabbed.
Starmer, a father of two teenagers, said: 'I speak as a dad – if anything happened to them, I honestly don’t know whether I would have the strength to do anything about it. And yet, I look around this garden, I see people who have lost their loved ones, and they have done something about it.'
Never Giving Up
'They’ve changed things, not just for themselves, usually not even for themselves, but for other people to make sure that they won’t go through the same thing. That has had a profound impact on me, and I can tell you that whatever happens next in my life, I’m never giving up on this,' Starmer said. 'As long as I’ve got breath in my body, I’m going to campaign on all these issues with all of you for as long as is necessary.'
He thanked the campaigners 'for all you’ve done to shape me and make me who I am in terms of the way I try to do my business.' Starmer, who will hand over power to Andy Burnham on Monday, is spending his final days highlighting his legacy, including support for Ukraine and domestic campaigns like the Hillsborough Law.
Legacy and Transition
Starmer said: 'I leave on Monday. I leave with good grace, I leave very pleased with what we’ve been able to achieve in government in the two years that I’ve had the privilege of being prime minister. I’m pleased to have delivered on the promises that I made to many people in this garden, and I’ll make this last promise, which is I will stand with you and walk with you for as long as I’ve got breath in my body.'
The reception followed Starmer's return from Paris, where he attended a meeting of the 'coalition of the willing' supporting Ukraine on Monday. On Tuesday morning, he joined Emmanuel Macron and other leaders at the Bastille Day celebrations, a symbol of closer post-Brexit ties with Europe. Macron awarded Starmer the Legion d’honneur for his support for Ukraine and European relations.
Andy Burnham Set to Succeed
Starmer’s successor, Andy Burnham, is now guaranteed to become prime minister after securing the backing of 369 Labour MPs as of Tuesday. It is mathematically impossible for another candidate to challenge him, though MP Catherine West secured one nomination from Neil Coyle. Coyle said he always nominates a woman for leader and backed West, who had previously expressed a desire for a contest.
Burnham participated in an online hustings with Labour MPs on Monday, outlining priorities including devolving power to communities, improving growth across the UK, and tackling the cost of living. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, he said people’s everyday living expenses are 'the issue of our times.' 'If we want to connect politics better with people, well, let’s deal with some of the pressures people are under in terms of the everyday cost of transport, the bills that they’re paying,' he said.
'I have talked about more public control of the basics, and then through that control, cutting the cost. I did that with buses in Greater Manchester, and I carry that same principle forward. To me, the cost of living and reducing it is everything, and I think we need to regain the confidence in the public that we’ve got a credible plan to do that and make life better.'
