A very Labour coup

After months of lost political capital, MPs calling for him to stand aside and his authority draining away, Keir Starmer took to the all too familiar podium outside Number 10 and announced his resignation as Prime Minister.

Regardless of whether you wanted Starmer to leave Downing Street or not, it was a hugely emotional moment. It is hard not to feel personal sorrow for someone who has concluded he is no longer the right person to have the honour of leading the nation. The breaking of his voice as he talked about his wife and his children spoke of the man and his values.

However, I was also left with a feeling of disappointment at how we have ended up in this position less than two years into the parliament. The optimism of July 4, 2024 seems far away now as the party takes a gamble on changing leader – a move we condemned the Conservatives for over and over again. And yet, over the last few months, this moment felt all but inevitable. No Prime Minister could have realistically survived the Mandelson saga, electoral wipeout across the country, the worst personal approval ratings in history, and their biggest rival returning to Parliament to challenge them.

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Despite this, on a truly historic day, there was also the prospect of some hope. As Andy Burnham made a triumphant return to the corridors of Westminster, MPs lined up (quite literally for the photo call) to support his bid for the leadership. With Wes Streeting dropping his challenge for the top job, it now seems like only a matter of time before Prime Minister Andy Burnham walks into Number 10.

Whoever does go on to become party leader needs our full support, regardless of our feelings about the nature of recent events. Divided parties don’t win elections – and ours has been split down the middle for far too long. Burnham has proved it is possible for Labour to make a recovery in the party’s heartlands and that a teal tidal wave is not guaranteed in 2029. If he does emerge from this contest as leader, he will have an enormous task on his hands, and he’ll need all of our support to see off the threat of Nigel Farage.

The commentariat will be quick to pick at Starmer’s faults while in office, but I will always be grateful for the work he did to make Labour a credible force in British politics again – and for the often overlooked achievements during his time in Downing Street; free breakfast clubs, workers’ and renters’ rights, bringing rail into public ownership, expanding devolution and cutting small boat crossings.

While I find myself frustrated that Labour has ended up in this situation, I will be grateful to Starmer for his service to the nation – and for putting the country above his personal ambition when it mattered most.

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