‘We did pull the levers’: emotional Starmer defends his record

Keir Starmer delivered an emotional defence of his time as prime minister during the final prime minister’s questions of his tenure, focusing on tributes and queries—many revolving around the World Cup—rather than partisan attacks.

In his final exchange, Starmer’s voice cracked as he thanked the colleagues he had served with during his two‑year premiership, which comes to an end on Monday when he will hand power to his successor, Andy Burnham.

“This will be my last answer from this dispatch box,” he began. “Every prime minister knows that when you take up the office, the day will eventually come to pass it on. For me, that day has arrived. This marks the end of my political journey.”

After a session that was observed by his family and members of the public—including Jaguar Land Rover employees and campaigners for a children’s social‑media ban—Starmer concluded with a heartfelt address. “May I wish you good health and happiness, to all those in the gallery whose lives have been changed or improved by this Labour government, and to people across the country who struggle to be seen or heard. You are the reason I entered politics. To my wife and children, I love you. Goodbye.”

The adjournment was met with cheers and applause from many MPs, though Speaker Lindsay Hoyle later reminded the House that such demonstrations are discouraged in the chamber.

During an early exchange, Starmer expressed being “truly horrified” by the death of Ann Widdecombe and proposed granting her a parliamentary shield, similar to those awarded to Jo Cox and David Amess, both of whom were killed while serving as MPs.

When asked for advice to his successor Andy Burnham and to the England team ahead of their semi‑final against Argentina on Wednesday evening, Starmer said, “I will not give advice to either my successor or the England team. I will simply give my wholehearted support.”

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch set aside her usual adversarial style to pose a series of questions to Starmer, ranging from the more serious to the whimsical, such as whether the nation deserved “a televised debate between Nigel Farage and Count Binface” ahead of the Clacton by‑election.

Starmer responded, “My advice to everyone is: put your vote in the bin.”

In response to a more earnest inquiry about his earlier comment that in No 10 “when he pulled the levers, nothing happened”, the prime minister offered a robust defence of his tenure. “We did pull the levers,” he said. “We pulled the levers to stabilise the economy, and we’ve stabilised the economy. We pulled the levers to strengthen our public services, and NHS waiting lists are coming down at the fastest rate for 17 years. We pulled a big lever on child poverty, and this government will be doing more on child poverty than any government ever, including previous Labour governments. We put the biggest investment into defence and security, and our international standing has been restored.”

In her concluding question, Badenoch expressed gratitude to Starmer’s family “for the love and support they have given him throughout his time in office”, observing that all political families make significant sacrifices.

Starmer replied by thanking the Tory leader for having “extended kindness to me privately at very difficult times”, citing incidents such as the attack on his family home and the death of his brother.

Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice also offered a lighter moment, noting that under Starmer’s leadership the England men’s team enjoyed the best win record of any UK prime minister.

Conversely, Reform MP Danny Kruger, a former Conservative, criticised Labour for not fielding a candidate in Clacton. Starmer countered, “I know that Reform believe in recycling politicians.”

The final question was posed by Labour MP Carolyn Harris, who fought back tears as she praised Starmer’s transformation of the party after its 2019 election loss. “Today, because of his service and his leadership, children are growing up in a fairer Britain,” she said. “We stand tall on the world stage, and every day we’ve seen his decency and his courage shine through. Can I thank him and his wonderful family, on behalf of me and my family, for their cherished friendship, and I am certain everyone will join me in wishing him and his family the very, very best for their next chapter.”

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