Keir Starmer insisted whoever replaces him will face the same global conflicts and domestic pressures, dismissing the suggestions that a new Prime Minister could spend less time on international affairs
Keir Starmer broke his silence on his resignation with a warning for his likely successor.
He has opened up about the “deeply personal” decision to resign – while appearing to warn his likely successor Andy Burnham would face the very same challenges in Downing Street. More than a week after his emotional resignation, the Prime Minister revealed he accepted his political career was over during a weekend away with his family, where he said he “grappled” with the move after weeks of discussions with colleagues.
He said: “But for me, and this may be different for other people, in the end it became an intensely personal decision. And that’s why it was a decision taken ultimately when Vic and I were away with the kids. We went to Chequers and just spent two days together as a family. And that’s when I came to my final decision.”
He told the BBC: “Taking the decision that your political career is over, it is an intensely personal matter, or at least it was for me. I wanted to do that with Vic, and that’s what I did.”
In the interview, Starmer also appeared to take a swipe at supporters of Burnham, who believe a new leader could spend more time tackling problems at home than international affairs.
He said: “If you’re prime minister and you care what bills are gonna 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.”
Asked whether a future prime minister could spend less time on diplomacy than he had, Starmer replied: “No, I don’t think it is possible. There’s often this discussion – what’s the right balance between dealing with international affairs and dealing with domestic affairs? They’re one and the same thing.”
He warned whoever replaced him would inherit the same pressures. He said: “Whoever’s my successor is going to face the same global conflict. We keep saying, and it’s true, we’re in a more dangerous and volatile world than we’ve been in for probably most of my lifetime. That’s not just a phrase, that’s reality. That’s not going to change. And the domestic challenges aren’t going to change.”
Starmer resigned within three days of Burnham’s victory in the Makerfield by-election, despite previously insisting he intended to fight on and face down any leadership challenge. He described stepping down as “really, really tough”, saying he ultimately reached his decision after spending two days with his family at Chequers.
Despite appearing to acknowledge Burnham was the frontrunner to replace him, Starmer insisted he had “never had any personal animosity” toward the former Greater Manchester mayor. He also pledged to stay out of his successor’s way, saying he would be “keeping my mouth shut” rather than offering constant advice from the backbenches.
Looking back on his time as Labour leader, Starmer defended his record, arguing he had helped rescue a party that had become “politically, financially and morally bankrupt”.
He said: “The Labour Party arguably could have been lost, but I stepped up as leader and with others we saved the Labour Party.”
However, he acknowledged his time in No 10 had come to an end because Labour MPs no longer believed he was “the right person to take us into the next election”.