In the grounds of Chequers, in the Chilterns, prime ministers leave a lasting reminder of their tenure: a tree. “Bring your walking shoes,” Keir Starmer said when he invited me to join him in a wander through these living landmarks one autumn day. As the Cabinet Office minister, I had access to a connecting door into No 10. I saw Keir, an old friend, every week.
It was, though, at his official country residence that he was at his most relaxed. We spoke beneath the imposing oak tree planted by Lloyd George, the first occupant of Chequers after it was gifted to the nation in 1917. Each tree prompts consideration of its office-holder’s legacy; when looking at Liz Truss’s sapling, the first thought was how her premiership lasted only 49 days. Strolling back to the house, Keir stopped to speak to each maintenance worker we saw. He was always kind: in his final months in office, he would often message to ask how one of my children, ill at the time, was feeling.
The contrast between the private, thoughtful Keir and the distant leader he was often portrayed as was stark. Criticisms of his government are well known: from winter fuel payment cuts to welfare reform rebellion and accusations of policy U-turns. The charge was that he had no guiding mission. A more considered view can now emerge. Above all, Keir demonstrated that a moderate centre-left administration could be formed and deliver tangible changes. He showed that this could be done in difficult circumstances. The long squeeze on living standards after the financial crash, austerity, Brexit, the Covid pandemic and Vladimir Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine all left a weak economy and struggling public services. But the foundation he left gives his successor, Andy Burnham, a greater chance of succeeding and reduces the chances of a populist-right government being elected.
That Labour won in 2024 was itself remarkable. Keir was elected party leader in April 2020 after the general election defeat of December 2019 left only 203 Labour MPs, the lowest total since 1935. Many factors delivered Labour’s 411-seat landslide, with Conservative unpopularity and a split in the vote on the right with Reform, but Keir’s leadership in making Labour a party that could be trusted in government was central. On antisemitism, he delivered on his pledge to “tear out this poison by its roots”.
While Keir would be the first to credit others in his ministerial team, his Downing Street chose which policies were driven through, and the actions of his government bear his distinctive stamp. He believed in the capacity of the state to change lives and rebalanced power towards those who lacked it. Workers’ rights were enhanced by the Employment Rights Act and tenants’ protections strengthened under the Renters’ Rights Act. The right to sit and vote in parliament by birthright was ended. The Hillsborough law – which families have spent decades campaigning for – will empower citizens to prevent establishment cover-ups. Additional investment is delivering results for patients in our NHS. Changes to the planning system and GB Energy are increasing the renewable energy sources available. The railways are being brought into public ownership. Abolishing the two-child benefit limit is reducing poverty.
Keir – and his whole government – can be criticised for failures in communicating these major changes, but he was driven by what he believed was right for the country. He took responsibility for decisions made under intense pressure. Facing civil disorder after the Southport murders in July 2024, he did not waver from his belief that delivering swift justice was essential to stopping the riots. His approach was to choose the national interest over short-term political gain. When he was urged to have his own Love Actually moment and criticise Donald Trump, he instead secured an economic deal with the US that saved jobs in the automotive sector. He was often told to abandon tight fiscal rules, but he stood by his chancellor in delivering the essential economic foundation that led the UK to record the fastest rate of growth in the G7.
It was on the international stage that Keir came into his own. I spent hours travelling with him, observing his detailed preparation and decisions on who he should speak to. He led the Coalition of the Willing in support of Ukraine and kept the UK out of the war in Iran. A Palestinian state was recognised. He understood the need to increase defence spending. The EU negotiations I was proud to lead improved the UK’s relationship with its continental neighbours.
Emmanuel Macron presented Keir with the Légion d’honneur and Volodymyr Zelensky decorated him with the Order of Freedom. No such prizes will be awarded for Keir’s six-year term as a party leader. Yet his achievement as leader of the opposition, in replacing one government with a working majority in the House of Commons with another, was historic: the first time that had happened since 1970. The policies of his government will continue to improve lives.
In Keir’s final days as PM, with him thinking about his own contribution to the Chequers grounds, I went to No 10, conscious of the weight of the moment as our political journey was coming to its end. With him in a contemplative mood, we sat in adjacent green armchairs and I told him he was leaving the country in a better place. When a future prime minister and one of their cabinet colleagues stands before the Starmer tree, there will be much more to remember than that the administration lasted only two years.
[Further reading: Will Andy Burnham call an early election?]
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This article appears in the 20 Aug 2026 issue of the New Statesman, Summer Special
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Subscribe here to commentHe lost many supporters over Gaza. The proscription of Palestine Action has led to hundreds of elderly citizens being charged with terrorism, and this is a disgrace that he will never live down. It raises the question of how much humanity was thrown out with the antisemitism bathwater.
Can I advise you to lean on your experience as EU negotiator to form a committee of people formerly in government, to provide more momentum to the process of rejoining the EU. Andy is very much concerned with the touchy-feely aspect of national politics and might appreciate the input of yourself and Ivan Roger’s and others who fought against the stupidity of Brexit. A small committee of experts who could influence the members of EU bodies that the UK wants to rejoin and is prepared to contribute its share of the costs of running the EU.
Starme r contributed nothing to the Labour victory. The split on the Right made sure that the best placed party would win. The pro Israeli stance was a disgrace and Starme r should be ashamed of himself. Crawling to Trump was equally disgraceful.
Starme r was a failure!
The writer gives him credit for changing the two child limit, but that was only under duress. His problem was he had very few principles and hence there were so many U-turns. He tended to say what was convenient for the moment and he would be very insulted by this but it reminded me of a previous Prime Minister with the initials BJ. I can’t really have a lot of time for anybody who had an act of Parliament for his own pension scheme.