Swapna Kumbar , Bengaluru - Outgoing UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said “my work is done” and wished “every success” to Andy Burnham as he prepares to hand over power. Speaking outside 10 Downing Street before heading to Buckingham Palace to submit his resignation to King Charles III, Starmer said he was “closing the book” on his time in office and formally “passing the baton” to Burnham, who is set to become the next prime minister.

Starmer used his farewell address to defend his premiership and frame his departure as the end of a completed mission rather than a political failure. He recalled taking Labour from its heavy 2019 election defeat to a landslide victory in 2024 and said Britain was “stronger and fairer” than when his government came to power. “My work is done,” he declared, adding that serving as prime minister had been “the privilege of my life” and that he was leaving office “with a smile” and “proud of everything that we have achieved.”

Looking ahead, Starmer stressed that every prime minister eventually has to “pass the baton” and that the moment had now arrived for him. He said Burnham would have his “full support” and publicly wished him “every success” as he takes over at Downing Street, echoing similar remarks he made in his final session of Prime Minister’s Questions, where he promised to back his successor and let the new Labour leader govern without constant public commentary from him. The message was intended to signal party unity and a smooth transition at a time when the country faces significant domestic and international challenges.

By saying “my work is done” and openly wishing success to Andy Burnham as he passes the baton, Keir Starmer has tried to cast his exit as a dignified, completed chapter and to set up his successor for a stable start. His words underscore a desire to leave the UK “stronger and fairer” while signalling that the new prime minister will not face internal sniping from the man he replaces.