Starmer resigns as UK prime minister - The Latest
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What led to Keir Starmer's resignation as Prime Minister?
This is The Guardian.
There was a world in which you could have clung on with a whole series of rolling cabinet resignations, you know, the kind of Boris Johnson way, but that's quite damaging for the party. That's quite damaging for the country. Walking up this street two years ago was the proudest moment of my life. That was the kind of subtext he wanted to get across.
What was the atmosphere like during Starmer's resignation announcement?
You lot are getting rid of me only two years after we won this massive general election. One advantage for Berman is he's likely to take over just as the Commons recess kicks off. I think he's going to be starting with a lot of goodwill from the parliamentary party, or at worst, people willing to give him a chance. But to be fair, that was the position Keir Starmer was in a couple of years ago.
From The Guardian's Today In Focus, this is The Latest with me, Lucy Hough.
What were the key points from Starmer's resignation speech?
Well, the moment has finally happened after so much speculation. Keir Starmer, the lector, was out early doors this morning outside Downing Street and Keir Starmer announced his resignation, meaning we are now looking at the seventh prime minister in 10 years. Peter Walker, you're The Guardian's senior political correspondent and you were at Downing Street early doors this morning.
I was.
We weren't sure when it was going to happen, but it did seem likely it was going to happen today.
How did Starmer's leadership impact Labour's future?
What was the atmosphere like?
So I went down to Downing Street and it was already packed. I mean, it's a usual thing. You have the stills photographers with all their step ladders. Then you have the TV crews or people broadcasting in Japanese, in French, in Chinese.
Who are the potential candidates to replace Starmer?
The Chinese state news agency was next to me. There was not quite so many kind of print reporters like me. There were people who wanted to be there and basically see the color because on the TV screen, you can't really tell quite what's going on.
Yeah, and so what was that colour? Because there was a lot of number 10 staffers behind him, his wife, Vic, and a kind of uncharacteristically very emotional crack of the voice at the end of his speech.
What challenges will Andy Burnham face if he becomes Prime Minister?
I shall spend more time on the most important job, being the best husband I can to my fantastic wife, Vic, who has been a rock by my side through good times and bad, and being the best dad I can to my beautiful children who are my pride and my joy.
But what else did he say about his decision?
It was a very brief speech. It lasted about four or five minutes.
What is the timeline for the leadership contest in Labour?
And when you have the transcript, it's only 750 words. He packed quite a lot into it. I think it was interesting. The first thing he said was he said the proudest moment of his life was walking down Number 10, walking towards Number 10 only two years earlier. And I think that was the kind of subtext he wanted to get across.
How might Starmer's resignation affect his political future?
You know, you lot are getting rid of me only two years after we won this massive general election win.
Yeah.
And that's very much the feeling that he and his allies still feel very keenly that they think that Labour MPs and particularly Burnham's team have acted quite hastily. But then he went on to basically say, look, you know, I accept that it's not just what I've done. It's do my MPs have confidence for me to lead them into the next general election? And the answer very much was no. And he said, Again, stated the point that whatever he wanted to do, we thought the country's best interests were the most important thing. And I think that was crucial too, because there was a world in which he could have clung on. He could have eked it out another few months with a whole series of rolling cabinet resignations, you know, the kind of Boris Johnson way.
But that's quite damaging for the party. That's quite damaging for the country. And he spent the weekend at Chequers with Victoria and probably one or two other very, very close people to him. Working out what to do. And, you know, we knew that by Saturday the decision has been made. The text of the speech was being drafted by Saturday.
Yeah, and if there was any doubt, then we had a post from Trump on Truth Social yesterday saying that Starmer was going to resign.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What led to Keir Starmer's resignation as Prime Minister?
0:00–0:30
2
What was the atmosphere like during Starmer's resignation announcement?
0:30–0:56
3
What were the key points from Starmer's resignation speech?
0:56–1:21
4
How did Starmer's leadership impact Labour's future?
1:21–1:35
5
Who are the potential candidates to replace Starmer?
1:35–2:01
6
What challenges will Andy Burnham face if he becomes Prime Minister?
2:01–2:28
7
What is the timeline for the leadership contest in Labour?
2:28–2:46
8
How might Starmer's resignation affect his political future?
2:46–14:24