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CNN International: U.K. PM Keir Starmer To Formally Resign To King Charles. Aired 6:30-7a ET

Aired July 20, 2026 - 06:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And there should be more tours for the public, so it can actually be seen by the public.

[06:30:06]

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: And be used for public use, presumably by government bodies and --

STEWART: I don't think King Charles was the first monarch to not like living in Buckingham Palace or finding it quite a strange place to be. And who does want to live where they work? Well, Andy Burnham, let's hope.

FOSTER: Yeah, and let's see about that.

So, Anna, the more important question today, really, and it could potentially be a national crisis, and I know you're very close to Larry the Cat.

STEWART: Oh, Larry the Cat.

FOSTER: So, Larry the Cat has been here how long, over decade?

STEWART: Right, I am the Larry the Cat specialist at CNN.

FOSTER: Yes.

STEWART: We believe he's around 19 years old at this point, but he was a rescue cat, so we don't actually have a date of birth for Larry.

FOSTER: But he has represented continuity in times of political turmoil.

STEWART: This will be his seventh prime minister.

FOSTER: And you've got a concern about the incoming prime minister?

STEWART: The incoming prime minister, as far as we're aware, is a dog person. We believe he has a rescue dog called Axel. I don't know what breed Axel is. He is white and he is fluffy. I am a cat specialist, not a dog specialist, I leave that to you.

FOSTER: Yes, yes, yes.

STEWART: Now, in the past, Larry the Cat has had dogs in residence. It hasn't always gone that well. I don't believe he much liked Dilyn, which was Boris Johnson's dog. They're having a few others, but better that, perhaps, than bringing another cat into the house. We all remember Palmerston from the Foreign Office. Palmerston famously got on very, very badly with Larry, and Larry eventually saw him off. But is Larry there? He was sunning himself.

FOSTER: Yes, there was images from earlier, if you look at the screen.

STEWART: Yeah, he's been out.

(CROSSTALK)

FOSTER: He didn't want to go in.

STEWART: Obviously, he's a cat.

FOSTER: And then he did go in.

STEWART: He's given us all the cold shoulder, showing absolutely no interest in anyone.

FOSTER: Oh, there's no -- you can't actually get into Downing Street from the outside. There is actually no door handle. You have to have it opened from inside by a policeman. And this poor policeman spends most of his time trying to work out whether the cat's on the doorstep to let him in.

SAM FRANCIS, LONDON PLAYBOOK AUTHOR, POLITICO: Yeah, I mean, there's enough news cameras pointed at it that he can probably see if Larry tries to get in. But as you say, he's a cat, so he just likes messing with people.

FOSTER: Yeah. So, you know, I do think it's interesting that we've got the guy that brings out the lectern. He's become famous because we have so many of these moments. We've got Larry the Cat that somehow represents continuity in the U.K.

Going back to your issue with the electoral map, actually reform, you could legitimately argue, has a problem with the system because the Lib Dems, for example, get many seats with not many votes. Reform gets many votes and not many seats. And ultimately, you could track that back to Brexit and how this two-party system's broken down.

And even the main parties have broken down. So, we're actually in this uncomfortable place where the parliamentary system isn't really set up for multiple parties.

STEWART: It's really split into politics. And we see this in the election. It was so interesting when we got all the numbers through on election night and saw how many votes were going for reform and whatever versions it's been called in the past. And it has really split the vote. And it does weaken all parts of parliament, really. It certainly weakens the Conservative and the Labour Party.

And within those parties, you get those factions, don't you, that try and please what the public wants from a party like reform, anti- immigration policy. But I think what we've heard from Andy Burnham is that they want to stand for what Labour stands for, not move too far to the left, not move too far to the right, and really unify the party from within.

FRANCIS: Sounds like Blair. I don't know. I mean, he was a Blairite when he first came in. There's the famous joke that goes around in Westminster that a Blairite, a Brownite, and a Corbynite walk into a pub and the pubman says, "Hello, Andy Burnham." So, he would say that that's down to loyalty to party leaders. And I think he'd probably be hoping for some of that from his own MPs.

But on the point about we're kind of splitting into multi-party politics now, the two main parties, I was doing a bit of research before coming on here. And the last time we had a changeover of so many prime ministers was when there was a new party on the bloc, and that was Labour. That was back in the 1910s and 1920s.

And we had the change of prime minister every few years back then. It was back and forth between two different prime ministers. But it sort of often happens when the first-past-the-post system is split and fractured across more than, yeah, two parties. And you have to start considering how you're going to hold together quite broad-brush, broad-church coalitions when there are other parties that disaffected voters could legitimately go and vote for now.

FOSTER: So, we're looking down here on Buckingham Palace. You get a real sense of it on these rare occasions. We can put a chopper up above it, so that big quad in the middle at the back of the state rooms overlooking that enormous garden.

The meeting presumably happens towards the back at the front are mainly offices. The back's actually undergoing this massive renovation, of course. I just wonder what would be going through Keir Starmer's mind, you know?

You know, the protocol is not to share what you discuss with the king. And that allows them to be honest. I mean, it would be very interesting to be on the floor on the wall for him to really sum up to the king the one person he can be honest and have discretion with about how it's all gone and what he thinks.

[06:35:16]

STEWART: You're thinking this could be some sort of therapy session for Keir Starmer.

FOSTER: Well, they are therapy sessions, aren't they? They're literally therapy sessions. No one ever shares anything from them. And you've got this monarch who's actually seen prime ministers come and go. Even back to when he was prince, he does give advice. I mean, who else would you go to apart from your partner?

STEWART: A huge moment. And I'm sure King Charles will have plenty to say to Keir Starmer and know how to reassure and how to do the correct farewell and give him this final moment. I think it'll be very strange for Keir Starmer, I would have thought, leaving the palace, no longer prime minister. What do you do next? Where do you go? Who do you meet? I'd love to know what happens.

FOSTER: He said he was leaving politics, interestingly, didn't he?

FRANCIS: He did. That got a lot of people very excited until we in the lobby briefing afterwards, they said, no, no, no, don't be too much into this. He's still going to be an MP.

There's -- I mean, I think there was quite a lot of rumors that he's not going to stick around for too long. Rishi Sunak has obviously stuck around when many people said he was going to fly off to a high paid job somewhere else. But there is a big question as to what Starmer does next.

Obviously, he was a very successful lawyer before coming into politics. As you go back to that, there's some suggestion that he'd like to get a role with NATO coming up.

FOSTER: So, well, we've just had the statement from Buckingham Palace. The right Honorable Sir Keir Starmer MP has had an audience with the king this morning and attended his resignation as prime minister and first lord of the treasury, which is prime minister's graciously pleased to accept, which is language that they use in these circumstances, is not being smug.

Lady Starmer was also received by the king. So, that was interesting. Keir Starmer's wife was also in the room for this moment, and she's been his great support, of course. And he talked about that in the speech where he resigned.

But we no longer have a prime minister. There's this very weird moment in British politics where we are completely ruthless because between Starmer resigning and Burnham coming in as prime minister, we don't have any leadership.

STEWART: We have the king and we have Larry the Cat.

FOSTER: We have the king would have to step in if there's a national crisis, which is odd. And Larry the Cat, Anna, is not leader of this country. We'll be back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:40:35]

FOSTER: You're watching CNN's coverage of the transition of power in the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer currently out of Buckingham Palace. We know that he has handed in his resignation, it's been accepted formally by the King.

So, actually, the U.K. does not have a leader at this moment, because we are now waiting for the King to invite in the new Prime Minister, and waiting for Andy Burnham to form a government. At that point, he becomes Prime Minister, and we'll see him then come back here to Downing Street, give his speech, which is very keenly awaited, because we know nothing about his broad policies at this point. And then he'll go inside, meet his staff, and then we'll expect him to start appointing members of the Cabinet, which will be hugely telling, because we'll get a sense of what sort of government he wants to form. He's talked about creating unity, but it's pretty tough when British politics is very divided, and his own party is very divided.

Let's revisit some of Keir Starmer's final moments as Prime Minister then, in the speech that he gave just a few moments ago here in Downing Street.

KEIR STARMER, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: It has been the privilege of my life to serve you and this great country as Prime Minister. And I am confident that Britain is now stronger and fairer than it was two years ago. Our economy is stronger. Our public services are on the up, with the biggest fall in waiting times for 17 years. Children are being lifted out of poverty every single day. Immigration is down significantly. Our defense and security are on a far stronger footing, and our international reputation is greatly enhanced.

Yet the thing I will always take away with me, the most humbling aspect of this job, is the front row seat you get to witness the greatest things of this country in action. To see every day immeasurable acts of resolve, grit, decency and compassion.

FOSTER: After just two years in number 10, Mr. Starmer is making way for his successor, Labour's Andy Burnham. He'll be the seventh British Prime Minister in just over 10 years. Wes Ball is a former Special Advisor to Gordon Brown. He also served as Director of the Parliamentary Labour Party. He joins me now live. Thank you so much for joining us.

We are awaiting Andy Burnham's speech now, and he's talked about bringing unity, also stability. And I noticed that the betting companies here in the U.K. are already offering odds on how long Andy Burnham will stay in power. It really says so much, doesn't it? You know, even before they're Prime Minister, we're questioning how long they're going to stay.

WES BALL, FORMER DIRECTOR OF PARLIAMENTARY LABOUR PARTY: Well, the challenges that the country faces are still enormous. Keir Starmer was, I think, right to point to some of the things he's done to bring more stability to the U.K. in its economics position and its geopolitical position. But the fundamental challenge of what position this country has in the world and how you're going to get growth going again to start investing in the country are really tricky.

He does have a slightly easier position than Andy Burnham, than Keir Starmer had, because he's got a unified party behind him on the back benches. Pretty much everyone nominated him. And so, he does start from a stronger political position. But the fundamental challenges haven't changed.

FOSTER: But Keir Starmer came on in a massive manner, you know, one of the best election victories in decades. And he managed to lose that parliamentary support very, very quickly. So, what can Andy Burnham do differently?

BALL: Well, it was a series of policy missteps right from the first few weeks in power, wasn't it, that was the beginning of Keir Starmer's troubles. And I think, in fact, as Rishi Sunak, the former Prime Minister, wrote over the weekend, it's really important to spend time with your parliamentarians to continue to get their support. And I think many Labour MPs would say that Keir Starmer probably didn't spend enough time getting to know them and working with them and understanding their problems.

So, that when he was launching policies, they felt that they hadn't been involved in the development of those policies, and they couldn't agree with them.

[06:45:03]

So, that would be a really important thing for Andy Burnham to do is to remember that he needs to spend time on the international stage, on the security and diplomatic stage, and also fixing his own backyard by continuing to engage in conversations with his own politicians.

FOSTER: Yeah, so Keir Starmer obviously spent a lot of time on the international stage and built a lot of credibility, didn't he, there as well. So, outside the United Kingdom, I think he's often got a very different reputation than he has within the United Kingdom. But Andy Burnham's a different case, isn't he, because he's not just domestic focused, he's regional domestic focused as well.

So, you know, at what point do we get a sense of his foreign policy? How is he going to work with President Trump, for example? He's going to need that key alliance like any other Prime Minister, isn't he?

BALL: Absolutely. And I think this is the thing that all incoming Prime Ministers think. They think that I can be more domestic focused, and they realize very rapidly as they walk through the doors that, you know, and they're forced to consider what they would do with our nuclear deterrent. They're forced to consider their role on the world stage and the fact that it's a leader-to-leader relationship.

So, I think that Andy Burnham, when he becomes Prime Minister, will have to really consider how he wants to play that role on the world stage. He will have to have a personal relationship with President Trump. He will have to have a personal relationship with those who live on the line in Europe and across the world. And those are the things that are going to -- those geopolitical relationships are the things that are ultimately going to put Britain on a path to growth and prosperity.

FOSTER: Tony Blair had this great charisma, didn't he? And I know that you worked with him. Gordon Brown didn't have the same on-screen presence as he did. You've now got Andy Burnham come in, I mean, it is, you know, one of his major assets, isn't he? Everyone who meets him enjoys meeting him. And that will be very useful at these meetings. But do you think sometimes it's style over substance, particularly on foreign policy? Will he get caught out on the international stage if he doesn't really know his stuff?

BALL: Do you know, I mean, it's interesting, isn't it? Because I think that we have so little to go on with what Andy Burnham thinks about foreign policy that we will find out how he does in the job. I think it's an important signal to other capitals that he's kept Jonathan Powell on as the National Security Advisor and Varun Chandra as the, as his key interlock on business and trade.

So, that's -- those people will send a message to the rest of the world that the U.K. wants to have continuity in its foreign policy and in its international relationships. But when it comes down to it, you know, Andy will prove himself in the job and how he forms relationships with those politicians across the globe will be the test of it.

You know, he's a man that talks about his love of having a beer and going to the football. And I'm quite interested to see the idea of Donald Trump sitting next to him at Everton on a Saturday afternoon.

FOSTER: Yeah, well, it could happen, couldn't it? But you're right to say, you know, he'll be tested on the job. Actually, that's the reality, isn't it, of any prime minister. We just don't know what they're going to be like until they get into the job and see the pressures that come with it. And he's going to get a taste of that in just a couple of hours' time, isn't he?

Thank you so much for joining us, Wes Ball.

BALL: My pleasure.

FOSTER: We are looking down on Buckingham Palace and we believe that Keir Starmer is still in there. So, this is quite a long meeting with the king, having a discussion, decompressing, a pretty short premiership. We'll be back in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:52:54]

FOSTER: Buckingham Palace, where we -- Buckingham Palace, where the king is present, you can tell that from the royal standard flying over the palace. And inside he is decompressing with Keir Starmer, a premiership which lasted just two years despite that phenomenal landslide victory that brought him to power. He's just resigned, the king has accepted it, and shortly afterwards, we will expect to see Andy Burnham, his successor, come into the palace as a member of Parliament. He wasn't even a member of Parliament a few weeks ago. He was whisked into Parliament in order to get into this position and then Andy Burnham will come to where I am in Downing Street to give his first speech as prime minister, which is very keenly awaited because we know very little about his policy.

He didn't come in on an election. He was effectively crowned by his parliamentary party. But he is a very charismatic figure, a very popular figure amongst the public and in the broader Labour Party. So, the hope is, the reality is, it's a bit of a gamble. Andy Burnham, can he do right what Keir Starmer did wrong? We're about to find out and quite a scary moment in Britain's constitutional system where we don't actually have a prime minister or indeed a government right now. The king is running the country. Anna, Andy Burnham.

STEWART: What kind of question is that?

FOSTER: What do you want to hear from him?

STEWART: Well, we want some policy. So, what we don't know about Andy Burnham, given there was no leadership contest, given we've had no elections, we don't really know where he stands on some pretty big areas. Foreign policy is an obvious one. We want to know where he stands on things like Ukraine, Iran. I'm not sure we're going to get that from this speech. We might get some domestic policy.

There were certainly some leaks over the weekend, for instance, perhaps more drilling in the North Sea. We might hear about ditching plans for I.D. cards to save money. Perhaps we'll hear more about what he plans to do with the cost-of-living crisis. These are the things that people in the U.K. want to know from Andy Burnham, first and foremost. In terms of the broader policy areas, I think we may have to wait. Parliament is in recess now until September.

[06:55:15]

So, he actually has quite a long time without having to face PMQs. You know, not as much scrutiny, perhaps, as you would expect from a new Prime Minister.

FOSTER: He's going on a national tour, aren't we? Which is all about his regional policy, devolution specifically. He doesn't want power focus just here in Downing Street in London.

STEWART: And this is really interesting, because so many Prime Ministers, their first trip is often abroad.

FOSTER: Yes.

STEWART: Often they have, you know, a big event to go to, like the G7. The first big event for Andy Burnham may be the UNGA in New York, but that's not until September time, I believe, sometime. Interesting he's doing this tour of the U.K. It almost feels like the campaign trail that he never had to have --

FOSTER: Yes.

STEWART: -- because he didn't have to win an election.

FOSTER: Yah, yeah.

STEWART: This is about how people will get to know him.

FOSTER: It's probably quite a good run-in, isn't it? Reading in, taking calls, meeting leaders, going -- you know, sorting out his regional policy.

STEWART: And making people and MPs feel connected to him in a way that they perhaps don't yet, because they haven't had any role in his election. Makerfield voted for Andy Burnham, no one else.

FOSTER: I need to talk to you about something. So, this is the guy in charge of the lectern. He put one out for Keir Starmer, and there isn't one there now.

STEWART: This could be very interesting.

FOSTER: Very quickly.

STEWART: Podium gate. Lots of people have different lecterns.

FOSTER: He might not use a podium.

STEWART: He may not use one at all.

FOSTER: Which says so much about his sort of, I don't know, public image, right? It's more casual.

Anyway, we're going to take a quick break. We are expecting Andy Burnham to arrive at the palace any moment. We're expecting Keir Starmer to leave as well, as a lowly MP.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)