Sir Keir Starmer has resigned as Prime Minister, leaving Downing Street for the final time this morning after a brief speech. He then departed for Buckingham Palace to offer his resignation to the King.
Starmer becomes the sixth PM to resign in the last decade, despite achieving a landslide General Election victory just two years ago that ended 14 years of Conservative rule. Although he had claimed he would contest any challenge to his position, political pressure ultimately led to his decision to stand aside.
Farewell Speech and Achievements
Walking out to warm applause, Sir Keir said: "I am about to visit His Majesty The King to offer my resignation and close the book on my time as Prime Minister. My work is done."
Reflecting on his tenure, he stated: "In six and a half years, I took our party from a historic defeat in 2019, changed it so it was fit to face the country and won a landslide general election victory in 2024. Since then, it has been the privilege of my life to serve you and this great country as Prime Minister, and I am confident that Britain is now stronger and fairer than it was two years ago."
He highlighted key accomplishments: "Our economy is stronger. Our public services are on the up, with the biggest fall in waiting times for 17 years. Children are being lifted out of poverty every single day. Immigration is down significantly. Our defence and security are on a far stronger footing and our international reputation is greatly enhanced."
Passing the Baton to Andy Burnham
Addressing his successor, Sir Keir said: "As I now pass the baton to Andy Burnham, I wish him every success. He has my full support." He concluded: "I want to thank once again my family, Vic and our children, my team, all the staff here and across the Labour Party, everyone at Number 10 and across the civil service, and everyone who has supported our efforts along the way. For all the focus on individuals, politics will always be a team sport, and the changes we’ve delivered for our country and our party belong to everyone who has fought for them. I thank them again today, and I thank the British people for the opportunity to serve. I go with good grace, I go with a smile, and I go proud of everything that we have achieved."
