Deluded Keir Starmer says he would have won a general election in 2029... as he skips Andy Burnham's Labour leader 'coronation'

By JAMES TAPSFIELD, UK POLITICAL EDITOR Published: 10:18, 17 July 2026 | Updated: 10:19, 17 July 2026 Keir Starmer has insisted he would have won a general election in 2029 in one of his final interviews as PM. The outgoing premier is missing an event officially confirming Andy Burnham as his replacement as Labour leader today. Sir Keir is apparently still returning from Kyiv, where he held a valedictory meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky yesterday.   Speaking to the Mirror in Ukraine, the former leader - who hands over as PM on Monday - said he was going 'with good grace' despite being effectively ousted in a coup by MPs.  'I want my country to thrive, and therefore I'll do everything to make sure there's an orderly transition and give my full support to Andy Burnham and the whole of the government,' he said. 'I want the government to succeed, I want the country to succeed. And therefore my last acts as Prime Minister will be doing what I can to do that.' Keir Starmer has insisted he would have won a general election in 2029 in one of his final interviews as PM Your browser does not support iframes. The outgoing premier is skipping an event officially confirming Andy Burnham as his replacement as Labour leader today As he prepares to walk away barely two years after securing a landslide election majority, Sir Keir said he believed he had built a 'sound foundation'. 'There is now I think a sound footing, a sound foundation, and the party can go on and win a second term, which is what I always thought we could do,' he said. 'We've built the platform to go on and win in 2029. We hand over the country and the party in good shape after six and a half years from a state where the party, as I say, it was a question of whether it would exist.  'So I will now support the government and do everything I can to make sure that we go forward in good shape.' Sir Keir's optimism about the election comes despite Labour having trailed in the polls for most of his time in office. A YouGov survey this week suggested Reform has a five-point lead, although that has narrowed since it became clear Mr Burnham would take over.  Sir Keir's personal ratings remain at rock-bottom after collapsing since July 2024. Sir Keir's personal ratings remain at rock-bottom after an extraordinary collapse