8 hours ago
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Keir Starmer has said Labour “should go on to win the next election” under his likely successor, Andy Burnham, based on what the prime minister had already achieved.
In his first interview since he announced he would stand down, Starmer also said he held no “personal animosity” toward Burnham, who is expected to succeed him.
Speaking to the BBC, the prime minister was asked what he thought his achievements were as prime minister and leader of the Labour party. He pointed to the 2024 general election victory, addressing child poverty, improving NHS waiting lists and said his government had “stabilised the economy” over the last two years.
The prime minister also emphasised his legacy as turning around the Labour party after its 2019 defeat, tackling antisemitism and restoring public trust in areas such as defence and immigration.
Starmer added: “My successor will have a platform to build on, which means that Labour can go on and should go on to win the next election. And that’s what I’m trying to make sure I’m able to do over the next few days to serve my country and to make sure that I bow out.
“It’s the end of my journey in politics. I’m very clear about that. I’ve said to all my colleagues it’s not the end of their journey. And it’s very important that we all do what we can to make sure what comes next is a success. And that’s what I will do.”
When asked if he liked Burnham, the prime minister poked fun at the former mayor of Greater Manchester’s support of Everton: “Yes, I do. We’ve always got on. He supports the wrong football club.
“We get on, I’ve never had any personal animosity, and if he is my successor, obviously there’s a little bit of process to go. But I want what comes next to succeed and I’m going to do everything I possibly can to make sure it does succeed.
“And I’m going to support the government. And what I mean by support is that any advice I give will be only given if asked for.”
Throughout his premiership, the Labour leader has faced accusations of spending too much time on the world stage instead of domestic affairs, with his opponents calling him “never here Keir”.
Burnham has largely focused on domestic considerations as he sets out his stall to be the next prime minister. Starmer, however, warned that the future prime minister would not be able to spend less time grappling with the turmoil around the world than he has.
He said: “I don’t think it is possible. So this suggestion you can really, in the modern era, simply split up the international and domestic, is just … it just doesn’t make sense.
“It isn’t true. It isn’t right,” he said.
The prime minister said he planned to stay on as a member of parliament until the next election and sought to dispel rumours that he planned to stand as Nato’s next secretary general.
Asked if he knew what would come next, he said: “I don’t know, is the honest answer. The decision I’ve taken is that I should focus 100% on serving my country as prime minister until the day I leave, and then I can take time to think about what might come next.”
Starmer also said his decision to resign was “intensely personal”, and came after spending a weekend with his family at Chequers, the grace-and-favour Buckinghamshire country estate available to all prime ministers.
