Sir Keir Starmer has warned his likely successor, Andy Burnham, that he will have to spend just as much time on global turmoil as the outgoing prime minister did — pushing back against criticism that he was 'never here Keir' during his two years in No 10.
In an untypically candid first interview since resigning, Starmer described his decision to quit as "intensely personal" and "really, really tough", a choice he made at Chequers with his wife Victoria and their teenage children over the weekend after Burnham's victory in the Makerfield by-election.
“Starmer warns Burnham can't ignore global turmoil, calls quitting 'intensely personal'.”
"I grappled with what was the best thing to do for me, for the country, for the government," Starmer told the BBC. He acknowledged his political career was "over", but insisted he had "saved" the Labour Party and been a successful prime minister.
Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester, has largely focused on domestic issues as he sets out his stall — and some of his parliamentary supporters hope he will devote more attention to the cost of living and public services. But Starmer warned that separation is impossible.
"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," Starmer said. "And the domestic challenges aren't going to change."
Asked whether a prime minister could spend less time on diplomacy, he replied: "No, I don't think it is possible." He added: "It is not sensible to think you can just separate these two things out."
Starmer pointed to his own achievements — the 2024 general election victory, addressing child poverty, improving NHS waiting lists and stabilising the economy — and said Labour "should go on to win the next election" under Burnham.
"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," Starmer said. "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."
He insisted he held no "personal animosity" toward Burnham, joking that the pair "always got on" except that Burnham supports the wrong football club — Everton. Starmer promised to "keep my mouth shut" under his successor and said any advice would be given "only if asked for".
"It's the end of my journey in politics. I'm very clear about that," he said. "I've said to all my colleagues it's not the end of their journey."