Starmer says it's the 'end of my political journey' at his final Prime Minister's Questions
BBC News 2026-07-15 14:13:44
Context: Sir Keir Starmer, the outgoing Prime Minister, attended his final Prime Minister's Questions session in the House of Commons, where he was met with tributes and praise from MPs across all parties. The session, which lasted around 50 minutes, was marked by a lighter tone than usual, with jokes and anecdotes shared among MPs. Starmer is set to hand over power to Andy Burnham, the former Greater Manchester mayor, after he is confirmed as Labour leader at a special Labour conference on Friday.
Key Facts
- Sir Keir Starmer told MPs that it was the "end of my political journey" and that he was "proud of everything I have achieved" at his final Prime Minister's Questions session.
- The session was attended by Starmer's family, who watched from the gallery, and included several guests, such as campaigners he had met during his time in Downing Street.
- Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch praised Starmer for his work on Ukraine and his friendship with the country's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, but also warned Labour MPs that changing prime ministers was not a "silver bullet" for their troubles.
- Starmer thanked his staff, saying they had been "prepared to walk through fire for me", and was given a standing ovation by his own MPs and many on the opposition benches as he left the chamber.
- Andy Burnham, who is set to succeed Starmer as Labour leader, was absent from the session, as he has been at all PMQs sessions since he returned to Parliament last month, and is due to take over as leader after a special Labour conference on Friday.