Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has pledged his “wholehearted support” to prime minister-in-waiting Andy Burnham during his final appearance at the despatch box for Prime Minister’s Questions. Starmer stated he would “give my support privately if asked for, not publicly when not asked for,” as he addressed the Commons for the last time.
Final PMQs and Tributes
Starmer also thanked Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch for her “kindness” following the death of his brother and an arson attack on his family home. Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle paid tribute to Starmer, thanking him “for his public service, his international leadership, particularly in his steadfast support for Ukraine.”
Starmer told the Commons he was “proud to leave this country in a better shape than I found it,” with his wife Victoria and their two children watching from the chamber.
Advice for Burnham
When asked if he had any advice for Burnham, Starmer said: “I will give my wholehearted support to my successor. I want this Labour Government to be a success. I want our country to be a success. I shall give my support privately if asked for, not publicly when not asked for.”
Burnham’s premiership has already been confirmed after he received backing from 369 of the party’s 403 MPs, making it mathematically impossible for a rival to enter the contest. Under Labour rules, candidates need the backing of 81 MPs to stand, so Burnham is set for a coronation.
Starmer’s Legacy
Starmer will leave No 10 on Monday to make way for the Labour MP for Makerfield. He is spending his final days highlighting his legacy, including support for Ukraine and championing domestic campaigns like the Hillsborough Law.
He told the Commons: “I picked up our party, I turned it round. I made a promise to rip antisemitism out of my party, and I did. I turned my party to face the country, and we won a landslide Labour general election. And after two years, we’ve stabilised the economy. We have invested heavily in our public services. We’ve put better protections in for children, particularly on child poverty, we’ve strengthened our defence, and we’ve enhanced our international reputation. I’m proud to leave this country in a better shape than I found it.”
Support for Ukraine
Starmer reiterated the need for cross-party consensus on support for Ukraine. Badenoch said she “admired” him for inviting Volodymyr Zelensky to Downing Street after the Ukrainian president’s confrontation with Donald Trump and other senior US administration members.
Starmer said: “I had a meeting with him to tell him that in this country we will stand with him and Ukraine, and I didn’t let him leave alone. I walked him out to his car because we don’t let people in Britain walk out of our Britain, walk out of our buildings – we escort them out.”
