Starmer nationalises British Steel and visits Ukraine on last full day as Labour leader

Outgoing PM moves to cements his legacy before his replacement by Andy Burnham as party leader tomorrow

Good morning. Conventional wisdom has it that, once a PM announces they are going to stand down, all their power vanishes faster than water down a clear plughole. Broadly that’s correct. But in the last week or so Keir Starmer seems to have been acting with a decisiveness that eluded him for most of his time in office: finalising the defence investment plan; delivering the long-awaited apology to victims of forced adoption; over-ruling the security services to deliver the concession that got the Hillsborough law bill over the line; and finally securing a conditional pardon for Ruth Ellis.

This is not happening because being on the way out makes a PM more powerful. But it does help them focus, and forces them to give up on faffing around.

British Steel is part of the fabric of our nation and a cornerstone of Britain’s industrial strength.

Today’s decision secures the future of steelmaking in the UK, protects skilled jobs and safeguards a vital national capability.

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