Keir today...
The press response to Starmer's final PMQs shows British politics at its most false.
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It’s traditional for a prime minister’s final appearance at Prime Minister’s Questions to have an end of term feeling. The usual political point scoring is dialled down in favour of bad jokes and an unhealthy dose of cheesy sentimentality. After Keir Starmer’s last outing at the despatch box today, a pundit on Sky News commented that it would be brilliant if PMQs could always be so collegiate, so friendly, so conciliatory. It wouldn’t. It would be much worse than the usual badly scripted Punch & Judy show. Artificial chumminess is even less palatable than faked ferocity.
In its coverage of Starmer’s final PMQs, the Daily Mail managed to find a way to make it misogynistic. Beneath the predictable headline — End of the Keir Show — the standfirst focused not on Starmer but on the outgoing chancellor, Rachel Reeves:
Tears for Keir! Reeves weeps and Labour MPs give a standing ovation at Starmer’s last PMQs... after they booted him out of No10 for disastrous two years
Catering for the dacryphiliacs1 in its readership, the Mail illustrated the top of its story with three pictures of a tearful Reeves flanking Starmer in the Commons. In the copy below, Kemi Badenoch’s relatively soft questioning is played down in favour of giving the impression of a cold front coming from the opposition benches:
Labour MPs gave Keir Starmer a standing ovation at his last PMQs today - despite brutally ousting him after a disastrous two years in power.
The premier paid an emotional tribute to his family and insisted he was leaving the country in a better place as he signed off with: ‘Goodbye.’
Chancellor Rachel Reeves - also set to lose her job - was in tears next to him as the Labour benches rose to their feet to clap him out. Kemi Badenoch and the Tories stayed resolutely seated.
The Sun also focused on Reeves, with the headline ALL ENDS IN KEIRS Rachel Reeves in tears AGAIN as Keir Starmer gets standing ovation from Labour MPs in his last PMQs before standing down. Its political editor, Jack Elsom, writes:
Rachel Reeves cried in the Commons again as Sir Keir Starmer received a standing ovation from Labour MPs during his last PMQs.
The outgoing PM launched a fierce defence of his legacy as he bid farewell to MPs ahead of Andy Burnham taking over on Monday.
Over at The Times, the reporting took a straighter line, with the headline reading Keir Starmer tells last PMQs he ‘leaves country better than I found it’ and the copy angled towards how Starmer wanted to present himself:
Sir Keir Starmer said that he “leaves the country in better shape than I found it” as he bid an emotional farewell to the Commons at his final prime minister’s questions.
Starmer was watched by his wife and two children as he told MPs: “This is the end of my political journey.”
The Daily Telegraph used the same line for its headline (Starmer: I’ve left Britain better than I found it) but made it clear to its readers what it makes of the statement:
Sir Keir Starmer has claimed he is leaving Britain in a better state than when he became Prime Minister.
In its leader column this morning, the paper suggested that the Tories should have tabled a motion of no confidence in Starmer instead:
When the Conservatives ousted Margaret Thatcher from office in 1990, Labour tabled a motion of no confidence. So why haven’t the Tories done the same to mark the defenestration of Sir Keir Starmer?
… to see Mr Burnham leading his troops through the lobbies to declare confidence in the leader he has just ousted would at least highlight the extraordinary nature of what is going on.
The Guardian, which you might expect to give Starmer soft treatment on his way out, actually offers up a fairly sharp headline (‘We did pull the levers’: emotional Starmer defends his record) paired with some sceptical copy:
Keir Starmer has defended his record as prime minister in an often emotional final outing at prime minister’s questions, which largely avoided political jibes in favour of tributes and questions, many about the World Cup.
Answering the very last question, his voice breaking at times, Starmer paid tribute to those he had worked with over his two years in office, which will end on Monday when he hands over to Andy Burnham.
The Mirror played it straight — Keir Starmer takes final questions and vows “whole-hearted support” as Andy Burnham prepares for No10 — with copy that is equally flavourless:
Keir Starmer has pledged to give total backing to his successor Andy Burnham during his final Prime Minister’s Questions as he prepares to say goodbye to Downing Street.
The outgoing leader first hosted farewell talks with his senior ministers at number 10 before taking his last Commons grilling - which he opened with a tribute to murdered politician Ann Widdecombe and added “we must do more to defend our democracy”.
It’s right-wing sister paper, The Daily Express, followed The Sun and Mail in making Reeves the focus of story, with the headline Rachel Reeves breaks down in tears again at PMQs and switches out references to cheering Labour MPs to instead paint a picture of “the glum faces of [Starmer’s] front bench”.
ITN noticed the applause — Starmer receives standing ovation at final PMQs — and has the footage to prove it. Meanwhile, the BBC went with Starmer tells MPs ‘this is the end of my political journey’ as he gets applause at final PMQs, with live reporter Joe Couglan writing:
Today’s exchanges between Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch were friendlier than usual - with the opposition leader saying she planned to be gentler to the prime minister than he was to Boris Johnson during his final PMQs session.
The corporation’s political editor, Chris Mason, also focused on the emotion:
In the final moments of Keir Starmer’s time at the dispatch box, some of his political team could be seen wiping away a tear.
For all of politics’ necessary competitiveness and blunt contentions, today was a day where emotion and human feeling rose to the surface - and where a cross-party respect for public service was acknowledged.
I’m sure he actually believes that. Mason is a man whose coverage of politics rarely rises above a soap operatic obsession with personalities and storylines. Today’s PMQs was a performance of politeness, kindness and ‘veneration’ for public service, Labour MPs applauding a man they wanted gone, Kemi Badenoch barely pretending that she doesn’t loathe him, and Starmer himself telling his last big lie from the despatch box: That he’ll be supporting Andy Burnham all the way.
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Dacryphiliacs get turned on by tears or sobbing. Yes, I had to look it up.
'Dacryphiliacs' is a word? I assumed you'd made it up, in honour of the Mail's deathless EIC.