Starmer: Burnham should spend more time on foreign affairs than I do.

Sir Keir Starmer has warned his successor Andy Burnham will spend as much time with international turmoil as he did in No 10.

In a candid interview, the outgoing prime minister spoke for the first time about the “tough personal” and “difficult” decision he took along with his wife and children to “end” his “political career”.

Sir Kerr said he had “saved” the Labor Party and was a successful prime minister.

He vowed to “keep my mouth shut” under his successor, saying he loved Burnham and that the couple had “always been”.

Sir Keir has faced repeated criticism during his two years as prime minister – the anniversary of which this weekend – for his time on the world stage, with critics labeling him the “never here Keir”.

Among Burnham’s supporters in parliament are those who hope he will focus more on the cost of living and public services in the UK.

“It’s not reasonable to think you can just separate those two things,” Sir Kerr said.

Asked if a prime minister would spend less time on diplomacy than he did, he replied, “No, I don’t think it’s possible.”

He added: “There is often this discussion – what is the right balance between dealing with international issues and dealing with domestic issues? They are one and the same.”

Sir Kerr continued: “Anyone who succeeds me will face the same global conflict. We say, and it is true, that we are in a world that is probably more dangerous and volatile than we have lived in for most of my lifetime. That is not just a phrase, that is a reality.”

“That won’t change. And domestic challenges won’t change.”