Keir Starmer brought his tenure as United Kingdom prime minister to a close on Wednesday, delivering an emotional farewell at his final Prime Minister's Questions session in the House of Commons before handing over power to his successor, Andy Burnham, next week. "This is the end of my political journey," Starmer told lawmakers, adding that he was proud to leave the country "in better shape than I found it."
Starmer, who led the centre-left Labour Party to a landslide election victory in July 2024 after 14 years in opposition, is stepping down just two years into his mandate after losing the support of his party following a series of missteps, scandals and policy reversals. He struggled to deliver promised economic growth, repair battered public services or ease the cost of living for British households. Repeated judgment errors — including his appointment of Peter Mandelson, a figure with controversial associations, as UK ambassador to the United States — steadily eroded his standing. After Labour was heavily defeated in May's local elections, Starmer announced he would resign. Britain's parliamentary system allows governing parties to replace their leader, and thus the prime minister, without holding a general election; the next national vote does not have to take place until 2029.
Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester in northern England, is the sole candidate in the leadership contest and is expected to be confirmed as Labour's new leader on Friday. Having secured the backing of the party's MPs and major trade unions, he will command Labour's comfortable majority in the 650-seat House of Commons. On Monday, Starmer will travel to Buckingham Palace to formally offer his resignation to King Charles III, who will then invite Burnham to form a government, making him Britain's seventh prime minister in a decade.
Wednesday's session was a notably gentler occasion than the usual weekly ritual, in which the prime minister fields questions on topics given no advance notice — a test of political agility that critics sometimes dismiss as political theatre. Lawmakers from across the chamber paid tribute to Starmer's record on the world stage, particularly his efforts to repair post-Brexit relations with European neighbours and his steadfast support for Ukraine. French President Emmanuel Macron awarded him the Legion of Honour at Bastille Day celebrations in Paris on Tuesday. Conservative opposition leader Kemi Badenoch offered rare praise for Starmer's decision to invite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to London after Zelenskyy was publicly berated by US President Donald Trump at the White House. Starmer also opened the session by condemning the murder of former lawmaker Ann Widdecombe, calling it "chilling" that three serving or former members of parliament had been killed during his 11 years in the Commons.
Starmer closed his final appearance by thanking colleagues, civil servants and ordinary people who "struggle to be seen or heard," telling his wife Victoria and their two teenage children, watching from the public gallery, "I love you," before a quiet "Goodbye." Lawmakers from all sides rose in a standing ovation — prompting a gentle reprimand from the Speaker, who reminded the chamber that cheering is permitted in the House of Commons, but applause is not.