British Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivered his final address at Prime Minister’s Questions yesterday, ahead of his departure from Downing Street. He thanked his colleagues for their support and said that he was leaving behind a Labour government after taking the party from its historic defeat in 2019 to a historic victory in 2024.
The Labour Party suffered its worst general election result by seats since 1935 under Jeremy Corbyn in 2019, winning 202 seats and 32.1% of the vote. Corbyn had presented an unusually far-left platform and had a long history of hostility towards NATO, although Labour’s 2019 manifesto formally maintained the party’s commitment to the alliance.
Keir Starmer, the MP for Holborn and St Pancras, rose through Labour’s ranks as Shadow Brexit Secretary under Corbyn. Following Corbyn’s resignation after the 2019 defeat, Starmer contested and won the Labour leadership election on 4 April 2020.
Starmer later suspended Jeremy Corbyn from the parliamentary group and also the Labour Party following the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s report into Labour’s handling of antisemitism complaints and Corbyn’s response to its findings. Corbyn’s Labour Party membership was restored after a brief suspension, but the parliamentary whip was not returned. Corbyn has consistently denied allegations that he is antisemitic.
Under Starmer’s leadership, Labour returned to a more centrist and firmly pro-Western approach. The party won a historic parliamentary victory in 2024, securing 411 seats and 33.7% of the vote, against 121 seats and 23.7% for the Conservatives.
However, two years into his premiership, Starmer’s government became increasingly embattled amid rising living costs, accusations of restricting free speech and widespread criticism of his position on Palestine, including his refusal to describe Israel’s actions as genocidal. Labour then suffered heavy losses in this year’s local elections, prompting a major internal revolt that eventually forced Premier Starmer to announce his resignation. He is set to be replaced by Andy Burnham, the former Mayor of Greater Manchester and current MP for Makerfield, who is expected to take office as Prime Minister on 20 July.
Starmer will also be remembered for his strong support for Ukraine and his efforts to maintain cross-party backing for the country’s resistance to Russian aggression. However, he faced criticism from within his own party for failing to invest adequately in Britain’s defence capabilities. Defence Secretary John Healey resigned in June over the issue, arguing that the government’s proposed spending commitments were insufficient to keep the country safe.
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch delivered an emotional farewell to the Prime Minister. She thanked Starmer’s wife and children for the love and support they had given him throughout his time in office, acknowledging how precious his family was to him. Prime Minister Starmer responded by thanking Badenoch for the private kindness she had shown him and his family during difficult moments.
In his final answer from the Dispatch Box, Premier Starmer declared that his political journey had come to an end. He thanked Parliament, the Civil Service, his political team, his Labour colleagues and his family before leaving the chamber to applause. He will remain as an MP for his London constiuency, Holborn and St Pancras.
Another chapter in the history of the British Labour Party has now closed, with a new one about to begin.
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