Starmer calls resignation toughest, supports Burnham

In his first public comments since stepping down, former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described his resignation as the toughest decision of his career, insisted he holds no personal animosity toward his likely successor Andy Burnham, and warned that global affairs will demand just as much attention from the next government. Starmer spoke in a BBC interview broadcast on July 3, reflecting on his departure announced on June 22.

Starmer said his decision to resign was "intensely personal" and "really, really tough," finalized during a weekend with his wife, Victoria, and their teenage children at the official country residence, Chequers. He stated he grappled with what was best for himself, the country, and the government, consulting widely with colleagues and advisers, but ultimately made the choice as a family.

The resignation followed months of mounting pressure on Starmer's government, including significant Labour losses in local elections in May, a series of high-profile cabinet resignations, and a scandal surrounding his appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the United States. Mandelson's links to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein were scrutinized in newly...