Sir Keir Starmer, in his first interview since announcing his resignation, has asserted that he was a successful prime minister who "saved" the Labour Party. The outgoing leader stated that his decision to step down was "intensely personal" and was made during a family retreat.
Starmer pushed back against criticism that he spent too much time on international affairs, earning him the moniker "never here Keir." He argued that a prime minister must engage with global issues to effectively address domestic concerns. "If you're prime minister and you care what bills are going to be like in any household around the country, you have to care about finding a lasting solution to the situation in Ukraine, you have to care about what happens in the Strait of Hormuz," he explained. He dismissed the notion that international and domestic policies can be separated in the modern era.
Starmer announced his resignation on June 23, acknowledging that Labour MPs no longer believed he was the right leader for the upcoming general election. He pledged to remain in office until an orderly handover to a new Labour leader, expected before Parliament returns in September. In an emotional statement outside Downing Street, he paid tribute to his wife, Victoria, and their children.
He defended his record, stating he had transformed Labour from a party that was "politically, financially and morally bankrupt" and restored trust in the economy, defense, and national security. He described the decision to leave as "tough, really tough."
Attention has now turned to his successor, with former Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham widely considered the frontrunner. Starmer indicated that the process to choose a replacement would be orderly, with a new leader potentially in place before Parliament's summer recess on July 16, if Burnham is the sole candidate.
Starmer also indicated that his successor would face similar pressures regarding international diplomacy. "No, I don't think it is possible," he responded when asked if it was feasible for the next leader to spend less time on diplomacy. "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."
Following Starmer's resignation announcement, Reform leader Nigel Farage joined calls, including from some Labour MPs, for a general election to coincide with the leadership change.