Anthony Albanese has wished outgoing UK leader Keir Starmer well after his resignation, saying it “must be a very tough day” but he should be “proud of the contribution he has made to the country”.
The Australian Prime Minister listed AUKUS, support for Ukraine, and a social media ban as “opportunities” he was “grateful” to collaborate on.
“I consider Keir Starmer a friend and I’m thinking of him on what must be a very tough day,” he said.
“Serving in public life is a tremendous privilege, but politics can also be a harsh business.
“I’m grateful for the opportunities we had to work together to strengthen our AUKUS defence and security partnership, support the brave people of Ukraine and keep children safe from the damage that social media can do.”
His exit from Downing Street will mean post-Brexit Britain will have its seventh prime minister in the ten years since the country voted to leave the European Union.
After leadership rival Andy Burnham’s strong win at the Makerfield by-election, Sir Starmer’s departure from the helm of the UK Labour Party was widely anticipated as inevitable.
With Nigel Farage’s Reform UK surging in polls ahead of Labour in areas like Makerfield, the party has put its hopes in Mr Burnham as the only potential leader capable of reversing the party’s decline against right populists.
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles dismissed comparisons between Mr Albanese and ousted UK Prime Minister on Tuesday, rejecting claims he may face the same fate as One Nation’s rise mirrors the surge of Reform UK.
“I think there are different circumstances here. Having lived through this in the earlier part of my career, the way politics plays out is very specific to particular parts of the world,” Mr Marles told Nine’s Today show on Tuesday.
“We’ll keep focusing challenges of cost of living in Australia, and Pauline Hanson and Angus Taylor will keep working together to get in the way of all of that.”
Mr Marles was among a string of Australian politicians to issue thanks to Sir Starmer for this serving, dubbing him a “great friend of Australia”.
“He has been a great friend to Australia. We’re grateful for the partnership that he has demonstrated across the relationship, particularly on progressing issues like AUKUS and the way in which we’ve worked together in the support of Ukraine,” Mr Marles told ABC.
“Obviously, we wish Keir Starmer all the best for the future and we look forward to working with whoever is the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.”
Fellow Labor frontbencher Sam Rae said Sir Starmer had made an “extraordinary public contribution”
“Prime Minister Starmer has made an extraordinary public contribution as the leader of his country and over a long period in public office,” he told Nine.
“He’s been a great friend of Australia. The relationship between Australia and the United Kingdom is obviously critically important, has a long history to it and its representation in the current AUKUS arrangements is critically important. So he’s been very important in all of that.
After announcing he would leave Downing Street, Sir Starmer outlined the timeline to replace him.
Nominations will open on July 9 and are expected to be completed “by the summer recess”, which is a week later, on July 16.
The new leader will be in place by the time Parliament returns from its summer break on September 1.
But it’s expected the process to elect a new leader could be resolved sooner than anticipated after former UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting publicly backed Mr Burnham as the replacement.
It prompted speculation that Mr Streeting, who resigned in May citing a lack of confidence in Sir Keir’s leadership and is known to be an aspirant himself, will no longer challenge for top spot.
Leader of the UK Conservative Party Kemi Badenoch has questioned the dragged-out timeline by resharing Mr Streeting’s statement to X, which gave Mr Burnham full-throated support: “If you’re not running, what are we waiting for?”
After travelling by train from Manchester to London, Mr Burnham confirmed to journalists he would be making a tilt for the leadership.
The former Manchester mayor and newly elected Makerfield MP has issued a statement overnight thanking the outgoing leader for his “leadership and dedication” to the country.
“Keir has given huge service to our country and I want to thank him for his leadership and dedication during such a challenging period,” he said.
“His decision marks the beginning of a transition and it is important that this process is conducted in an orderly and responsible way. I will put myself forward as part of this process.
“As we move forward, our priority must be to work together to get the country back to where we all want it to be.”
UK’s Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves has expressed her gratitude to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer after his resignation.
The head of the UK Treasury said the pair had “achieved a lot together to be proud of” and thanked Sir Keir for leading the party to a “landslide majority” at the 2024 UK general elections.
“There is more to do. I am grateful for Keir’s leadership and the work he has done to build a stronger, more secure Britain,” Ms Reeves said in a statement on Monday.
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