Keir Starmer resigns. Andy Burnham prepares for power
6/22/202621 min
Andy Burnham could be prime minister within weeks after Keir Starmer's resignation. He may now need to build a government before the World Cup final. This is where the real trade-offs start. How long can Andy Burnham's hopey, changey, Northern Soul vibes last in Downing Street? There's already an almighty row going on over who will be his chancellor.
Also today, where did all go wrong for Keir Starmer and what did Labour MPs think of his resignation speech?
Wes Streeting has said he will not contest Andy Burnham for the Labour leadership, but are there any other possible candidates for the leadership contest?
Steven Swinford, political editor, The Times
Patrick Maguire, chief political commentator, The Times
Executive producer: Molly Guinness
Producers: Harry Kitson, Euan Dawtrey
Picture credit: Getty Images
Audio: Reuters
00:00 — Starmer’s Resignation: The Total Lack of Contrition
00:48 — A Surreal Timeline: Six Prime Ministers in a Decade
01:56 — The Emotional Exit vs. The Bitter Backroom Reality
03:04 — Where It Went Wrong: Sins of Tone & Policy U-Turns
04:30 — The Brutal Verdict: "He Wasn't Up To It"
05:47 — Outsourcing Power: Sue Gray, McSweeney, and Rachel Reeves
08:46 — Enter Andy Burnham: Can He Rebrand the Labour Party?
11:36 — Ed Miliband vs. The Financial Markets
14:31 — Team Burnham's Impossible Economic Trade-offs
16:36 — Will the Gloss Wear Off? The Unforgiving Spotlight of No. 10
18:24 — Legitimacy Crisis: Nigel Farage Demands an Early Election
20:06 — The Whitehall Machine in Total Chaos
This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsSpeaker 10:00
[birds chirping] [waves crashing] Wonder is a beautiful thing. It takes you to places you never thought you'd go. With flavors like Cool Mint, Zyn is built for this moment and for the road ahead. All from America's number one nicotine pouch brand. Find Zyn wherever nicotine products are sold. Warning, this product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical.
Speaker 20:29
There's something special about the joy animals bring into our lives. A greeting at the door after a long day, a quiet companion beside you on the couch, a reason to slow down and just smile. June is National Foster a Pet Month and National Social Pet Working Month, a time to help more animals find loving homes by fostering, adopting, volunteering, or simply sharing adoptable pets online. Oregon Humane is working every day to connect animals with people who care. That's a win for the people and a win for the animals. Learn more about fostering, adoption, and what you can do at OregonHumane.org.
Keir Starmer· Soundbite1:00
[instrumental music] The question my party is asking now is whether I am best placed to lead us into the next general election. I have heard the answer of my parliamentary party to that question, and I accept that answer with good grace. Every decision I've taken has been about putting the country