Promises, barbs, and a joke about England-Argentina: Starmer's final parliamentary session

In his final session of Prime Minister's Questions, outgoing British leader Keir Starmer pledged "full support" for his successor, Andy Burnham. The session, held on Wednesday, was characterized by a mix of emotion, humor, and football-related banter, especially with England's World Cup semifinal against Argentina just hours away.

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I will give my successor my full support. I wish this Labour government success.

"I will give my successor my full support. I wish this Labour government success," Starmer stated. He is set to step down as leader of the Labour Party on Friday, June 22, and will formally hand over power at Downing Street to former Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham on Monday. Starmer, who served two years in office amidst a cost of living crisis, received applause during the customary weekly parliamentary session.

The atmosphere was notably cordial, with jokes about the upcoming football match. A visibly relaxed Starmer, usually known for his sober legal style, remarked, "I don't care about the result tonight, as long as we win." As an Arsenal supporter, he mentioned he would watch the game on television.

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I don't care about the result tonight, as long as we win.

The session also touched on serious matters, including Starmer expressing horror over the recent murder of former legislator Ann Widdecombe, which counter-terrorism police are investigating as a homicide. He described the killings of three current or former MPs during his 11-year parliamentary tenure as "chilling" and urged politicians to "do more to defend our democracy." Amidst the political discourse, Starmer also noted he had an "important date with television" later that evening for the World Cup match.

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Starmer described the killings of three current or former MPs during his 11-year parliamentary tenure as 'chilling' and urged politicians to 'do more to defend our democracy.'