STORY
Keir Starmer has said Labour should be able to win the next general election under Andy Burnham, saying his successor would inherit a platform built during his time in Government. In his first major interview since announcing that he would stand down, the Prime Minister said he bore no personal animosity towards Burnham and wanted the next administration to succeed.
Starmer pointed to Labour’s 2024 general election victory, work on child poverty, improvements in NHS waiting lists and efforts to stabilise the economy as areas on which the next leader could build. He also defended his wider record as Labour leader, including the party’s recovery after its 2019 defeat and action on antisemitism.
The Prime Minister said he intended to remain an MP until the next election and rejected speculation that he was preparing to become NATO secretary general. He also warned that any future Prime Minister would still have to spend significant time on diplomacy because domestic and international issues could not be separated in modern Government.