Outgoing United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer has pledged his full support to his successor, Andy Burnham, as he prepares to leave office after a turbulent two-year tenure.
Facing his final session of Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons on Wednesday, Starmer said he wanted the incoming Labour leader to succeed and pledged to support him when needed.
“I will give my wholehearted support to my successor. I want this Labour government to be a success,” Starmer said.
He added that he would offer guidance privately if requested but would avoid public intervention unless invited to do so.
Starmer announced his resignation last month after months of political pressure linked to a series of controversies, policy reversals and internal party challenges. His departure comes two years after he led Labour back into government following 14 years in opposition.
Burnham is expected to formally become Labour leader on Friday after receiving overwhelming backing from Labour MPs and major trade unions. With Labour holding a comfortable majority in the 650-seat House of Commons, he is set to automatically become the next UK prime minister.
The atmosphere during Starmer’s final parliamentary appearance was noticeably different from the usual heated exchanges at Prime Minister’s Questions. Instead of confrontations, MPs across political parties offered tributes and thanked him for his public service.
Even opposition Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch adopted a softer tone while warning that changing prime ministers would not automatically solve Britain’s problems.
“Changing prime minister is not a silver bullet. Indeed, it may be that the Labour Party’s troubles are only just beginning,” Badenoch said.
She argued that addressing the country’s major challenges would require difficult decisions rather than simply a change in leadership.
Burnham is expected to meet King Charles III after becoming Labour leader, after which he will be invited to form the next government. He will become Britain’s seventh prime minister in a decade.
As Starmer delivered his final remarks from the despatch box, MPs applauded as he said goodbye and joked about his plans to watch England’s World Cup semi-final match later that evening.
“This is the end of my political journey,” Starmer said, while confirming he intends to remain a member of parliament.
The outgoing prime minister said he believed his government had left the country in a better position than when it took office and expressed pride in its achievements. Finance Minister Rachel Reeves, who sat beside him during the session, was visibly emotional during the farewell.
