Keir Starmer holds final PMQs before leaving office
Keir Starmer chaired his final cabinet and faced his last Prime Minister's Questions before stepping down as Prime Minister on Monday. The Hillsborough Law was also passed during the session.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Sir Keir Starmer has held his final Prime Minister's Questions and chaired his last cabinet meeting before stepping down as Prime Minister on Monday. The outgoing Labour leader will be succeeded by Andy Burnham, who is expected to take over after a special party conference on Friday and a formal handover at Buckingham Palace on Monday.
Starmer's final PMQs was notably different from the usual combative sessions. Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch set a conciliatory tone, thanking Starmer's family for their sacrifice and recalling private kindnesses he had shown her. Starmer responded by acknowledging her support after an arson attack on his family home and after his brother's death. The exchanges were marked by humour, including a joke about Nigel Farage and Count Binface, and by genuine emotion. Several Labour MPs, including Rachel Reeves, were seen holding back tears as Starmer delivered his closing words: "To my wife and children, I love you. Goodbye."
Earlier, Starmer's cabinet had given him a standing ovation at their final meeting and presented him with gifts: two bottles of wine and an engraved carriage clock. The outgoing Prime Minister said the day marked the end of his political journey and that he was leaving the country in a better state than he found it. He offered his wholehearted support to his successor, Andy Burnham, who was not present in the chamber.
During the same parliamentary session, the Hillsborough Law was passed. The legislation, which forces public bodies to be truthful in public inquiries, was a long-standing campaign issue for Burnham and the families affected by the 1989 disaster. Starmer had promised to bring forward the bill, and its passage is seen as part of his legacy, though Burnham has also been closely associated with the campaign.
The transition of power comes as Parliament heads into its summer recess, meaning Burnham will face little scrutiny until September. The timing has drawn criticism from opposition parties. Meanwhile, the country's attention was also on the England football team, with Downing Street draped in St George's flags ahead of a semi-final match against Argentina. Starmer is expected to attend the final on Sunday if England qualify, in what would be one of his last acts as Prime Minister.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC NEWS | BBC One | ITV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andy Burnham will become Prime Minister on Monday 20 July. | · | |||
| Starmer held his final Prime Minister's Questions on 15 July 2026. | · | |||
| Starmer chaired his final cabinet meeting, received a standing ovation, and was given gifts including a carriage clock. | · | · | ||
| Starmer said his political journey is over and he will remain an MP. | · | · | ||
| Starmer's wife and children were present but not on camera. | · | · | ||
| Keir Starmer becomes Labour's shortest serving Prime Minister. | · | · | · | |
| Rachel Reeves and others were holding back tears during Starmer's final answer. | · | · | · | |
| The Hillsborough Law was passed the night before Starmer's final PMQs. | · | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC News focused on the scene in Downing Street, the gift of a carriage clock, and the Hillsborough Law as a legacy item. It also highlighted the irony that some cabinet members who bought the gift had asked Starmer to leave office. The tone was factual with a touch of colour about the football flags and the upcoming match.
- “It is draped in England flags ahead of the match later.”
- “That will be an engraved carriage clock, a bit of an old-school gift, I might argue.”
- “This is what's known as the Hillsborough Law, which forces public bodies to be truthful and public inquiries after major events.”
5 News emphasised the emotional farewell, the football analogy comparing Starmer to Jude Bellingham, and the irony that Labour MPs who pushed him out gave him a rousing welcome. It also provided detailed logistics of the transition, including the special party conference on Friday and the formal handover on Monday.
- “They gave him a rousing welcome. But hang on, aren't these the same Labour MPs who've just pushed him out?”
- “To my wife and children, I love you. Goodbye.”
- “Andy Burnham, on Friday at a special Labour Party conference, will be essentially rubber-stamped as the new leader of the party.”
BBC ONE West focused on the unusual tone of PMQs, describing it as emotional, warm, and witty rather than sharp. It highlighted Starmer's closing words and the absence of Andy Burnham from the chamber. The analysis by Chris Mason drew comparisons to previous prime ministerial farewells, such as Tony Blair and Boris Johnson.
- “This a Prime Minister's question time like few others today an absence of sharp questioning and scrutiny instead emotional warm witty exchanges.”
- “To my wife and children. I love you Goodbye.”
- “He said today marked the end of his political journey and he was leaving the country in a better state than he found it.”
ITV1 highlighted the poignant and unusually kind atmosphere, the cabinet's standing ovation and gifts, and the mockery of Nigel Farage. It also noted that Starmer became Labour's shortest serving Prime Minister. The report included a tribute to the late Ann Widdecombe and the emotional reaction of Labour MPs.
- “Rather than the rowdy, bare pit the occasion can sometimes be, the usual harsh barbs were largely set aside for kinder tributes and moments of genuine emotion.”
- “To my wife and children, I love you. Goodbye.”
- “He was cheered out by some of the very MPs who made him quit.”
Broadcast Timeline
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