Finally, as he announced his resignation after nearly two years in office, we saw some real emotion from Keir Starmer.
It has been one of the most notable things missing during his time in office – and perhaps one of the reasons so few people warmed to him, despite the landslide election win that propelled him into No 10.
But a bit like Theresa May in 2019 – another prime minister who had appeared rather robotic until the end of her tenure – Sir Keir welled up as he delivered his speech from the Downing Street lectern under the eye of the world’s media.
Sadly for him, as he stood beside his wife Victoria – whom he described as his “rock” – with his staff and supporters gathered around him, it was too late to make a difference. His time in charge is over.
Sir Keir is the sixth prime minister in less than 10 years since the Brexit referendum to make this statement. It started with David Cameron on the morning after the Brexit referendum on 24 July 2016, before May resigned in 2019. Then came Boris Johnson in 2022, Liz Truss in the same month, Rishi Sunak in 2024 – and now Sir Keir.
Follow our live blog updates on Sir Kier’s resignation HERE
Incredibly, it has only been Sunak who made that statement after losing an election.
For Sir Keir, this statement was about preserving the last semblance of dignity for a prime minister who has been hounded out of office because of his inability to govern and make decisions, a loss of authority and – with the Peter Mandelson scandal – a loss of moral reputation.
It must have been a humiliating experience, especially for a man who, less than two years ago, won a record majority and brought Labour back from potential extinction. He will, at this moment, be feeling betrayed – and that feeling is unlikely to go away.
So, as is expected in these situations, his emotional resignation statement on the steps of Downing Street was defiant to the end.
It was a chance for him to make the case as to why he should have been given a chance to stay on and finish the job.
He listed achievements from saving the Labour Party and taking it to a victory nobody thought was possible to stabilising the economy, increasing spending on defence and lifting children out of poverty.
But he could not escape the reality that he lost the confidence of his parliamentary party, which he has been forced to accept, in his words, with good grace.
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Sir Keir has now set a timetable to ensure an orderly handover of power.
During his speech, there was one name he did not mention, and that was Andy Burnham – the man who is set to arrive in parliament on Monday after the Makerfield by-election victory, to what many expect will be a coronation as the new Labour leader.
The 9 July date for the start of a contest outlined by the prime minister will ensure Sir Keir does more than two years in office, but also give Labour MPs time to decide if there will be a contest or a coronation.
It is a bitter end to a premiership which, despite all its promise, never enjoyed much love.
The main question now is whether the positivity, empathy and much improved communications evident in the Makerfield by-election campaign – which has been clearly missing from this Labour government – will be able to bring a fractious party under control and turn their fortunes around.
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