Labour should win next election under Burnham after work already done, Starmer says | Keir Starmer
Keir Starmer has said Labor “should win the next election” under his likely successor Andy Burnham, based on what he has achieved while in power.
In his first interview since announcing he would step down as prime minister, Starmer also said he had “no personal hostility” towards Burnham, who is expected to succeed him.
Speaking to the BBC, the prime minister was asked what his achievements were as prime minister and leader of the Labor Party. He highlighted his 2024 general election victory, which addressed child poverty, improved NHS waiting lists, and said his government had “stabilized the economy” in the last two years.
The Prime Minister also stressed his legacy includes turning on Labor after its defeat in 2019, tackling antisemitism and restoring public confidence in areas such as defense and immigration.
Starmer added: “My successor will have a platform to build on, which means Labor can move on and go on to win the next election. And I’m trying to make sure I can do that over the next few days to serve my country and make sure I deliver.”
“This is the end of my political journey. I’m very clear about that. I’ve told all my colleagues that this is not the end of their journey. And it’s important that we all do what we can to make sure what comes next is successful. That’s what I will do.”
Asked if he liked Burnham, the prime minister mocked the former mayor of Manchester’s support for Everton: “Yes, I do. We always get on well. He supports the wrong football club.”
“Moving on, I’ve never had any personal animosity and if he’s my successor, of course there’s a bit of a process to go through. But I want what comes next to be successful and I’ll do everything I can to make sure it is successful.”
“And I will support the government. By support I mean that the advice I will give will only be given when asked.”
Throughout his premiership, the Labor leader has faced accusations that he spent too much time on the world stage rather than on domestic issues, with his opponents calling him “never the Keir here”.
Burnham has largely focused on domestic issues as she moves towards becoming the next prime minister. But Starmer warned the future prime minister could not spend any less time grappling with the worldwide turmoil than he already has.
He said: “I don’t think it’s possible. So this suggestion in the modern age that you can simply separate the international and the domestic, it just…it doesn’t make any sense.
“That’s not right. It’s not right,” he said.
The prime minister said he planned to remain a member of parliament until the next election and sought to dispel rumors that he planned to become NATO’s next secretary general.
Asked if he knew what would happen next, he said: “The honest answer is I don’t know. The decision I’ve made is that I have to 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 happen next.”
Starmer also said his decision to resign was “deeply personal” and came after spending a weekend with his family at Chequers, the rural Buckinghamshire estate available to all prime ministers.
