Global crises cannot be ignored, outgoing UK PM Starmer warns successor

LONDON: Britain’s outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned his probable successor, Andy Burnham, in an interview released on Saturday that he cannot ignore international turmoil and just concentrate on the country’s domestic problems.

In his first interview since announcing his resignation June 22, Starmer said his successor as leader of the ruling Labour Party could not spend less time on turbulent international affairs.

So far, Burnham, the former Manchester mayor, is the only candidate to take over the centre-left party. He could be in office by mid-July.

“Whoever’s my successor is going to face the same global conflict,” Starmer told the BBC. “We keep saying, and it’s true, we’re in a more dangerous and volatile world than we’ve been in for probably most of my lifetime. That’s not just a phrase; that’s reality.”

Burnham’s supporters have said he should put more focus on domestic issues, such as the cost of living and the decentralisation of government. But Starmer stressed that his successor would not be able to spend less time on dip­lo­­macy, noting the two areas are deeply connected.

“If you’re prime minister and you care what bills are going to be like in any household around the country, you have to care about finding a lasting solution to the situation in Ukraine; you have to care about what happens in the Strait of Hormuz,” Starmer said.

In a social media question-and-answer session on Friday, Burnham said he would “100pc” give the same support to Ukraine as Starmer.

Starmer, who led Lab­o­ur to a win in the 2024 election, said he will rem­ain in parliament until the next vote.

Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2026