We fact-checked Sir Keir Starmer’s resignation speech

Speaking in Downing Street on Monday, the Prime Minister congratulated himself on what he considered to be some of his crowning achievements in power.

We’ve tested his claims against reality… 

‘Six years ago, I inherited a Labour Party that was politically, financially and morally bankrupt’

This is not true, at least according to a treasurers’ statement in Labour’s 2020 annual report.

(Image: Lucy North)

Published after Sir Keir had succeeded Jeremy Corbyn, the report noted that contesting three general elections in less than five years “placed a huge strain on party finances”, but the statement added: “Despite the years of pressure and the devastating end to 2019, we emerge with our finances intact.

“Continued adherence to the NEC Finance Strategy meant that our financial stability was not risked.”

‘An economy that is stronger, growing faster than our peers’

This depends on who you ask. The UK Government tends to prefer the rate of growth compared with other G7 countries – which also includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the US and Japan. On this measure, Starmer’s claim is true.

But while the G7 represents some of the world’s biggest economies, membership is not predicated on economic performance.

And the UK’s economic growth is forecast to lag behind these self-appointed “peers” over the course of this year, with the US and Canda expected to push into first and second place, respectively, leaving Britain in third, according to the OECD.

Another forecaster, the IMF, paints an even bleaker picture, with the UK economy predicted to grow by just 0.8% over the year, down from an earlier prediction of 1.3%.

‘Wages rising faster than inflation in every single month since we came to power’

This claim is true, wages are outpacing inflation though income growth is uneven and unemployment remains at 4.4 per cent.

There is also growing concern about the youth unemployment rate, with the numbers of young people aged between 16 and 24 not in education, employment or training topping one million for the first time since 2013.

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At a rate of 6.2 per cent, private sector wage growth is outpacing public sector pay increases of 4.7 per cent.

And while the UK has seen a period of relatively low inflation compared with previous years at 2.5 per cent in the year to December, it is expected to rise again with the IMF forecasting prices to grow by 3.2 per cent this year.

‘An end to austerity’

This depends on who you ask. Sir Keir’s political opponents continue to charge him with imposing austerity on public spending.

It also depends on where you’re looking. Of the ministers who quit Sir Keir’s government, two did so because of issues of funding: Anneliese Dodds and, later, John Healey.

The former because her international aid budget was raided to fund the “biggest increase in defence spending since the Cold War”, and the latter because even this was not enough to meet what he thought the military should be getting.

READ MORE: Will there be a General Election if Keir Starmer resigns?

Elsewhere, efforts to curb projected increases to the welfare budget mostly failed after a rebellion by Labour backbenchers.

(Image: House of Commons/PA Wire)

And while the Government had planned to deliver real-terms increases in spending until 2030, Rachel Reeves revealed at the last Budget that funding would in fact flatline with steep cuts pencilled in for the financial year beginning in 2028.

Whether these will even materialise is a matter of debate, with the Institute for Government (IfG) think tank claiming it was “unrealistic” to think that Labour would stick by its planned cuts around the time of the next General Election.

In an analysis of last year’s Budget, the IfG said: “Paring back spending in 2029/30 means the Government will meet its fiscal rule that day-to-day spending is financed by revenues in that year, while also being able to fund other commitments like the end of the two-child limit for benefits and an increase in headroom.

“But, put bluntly, those 2029/30 numbers are a fabrication. As the [Office for Budget Responsibility] points out, they imply steep spending cuts of 5.8 per cent in real terms to ‘unprotected’ departments between 2028/29 and 2029/30.

“Unprotected services include prisons, courts, probation, and adult and children’s social care. Given the difficulties facing all those services, it is unrealistic to think that the Government will be able to cut their spending by that much in the year of an election.”

‘Half a million children being lifted out of poverty because of the choices that I made’

Partly true. The numbers are correct, based on predictions about the impact of lifting the two-child cap on benefits to which the Prime Minister is referring. But framing this as “choices that I made” is disingenuous.

Sir Keir suspended seven of his own MPs for voting for the removal of the cap in the very early days of his premiership.

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He then commissioned a child poverty task force which eventually reiterated what successive governments had been told time and time again: lifting the two-child cap was one of the most effective ways to lift children out of poverty.

‘Our reputation in the world restored, with Britain once again standing up for decency, respect and the rule of law’

False. Labour licensed exports of more military equipment to Israel in the final three months of 2024 than the Tories did for all of 2020-2023, according to the Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT).

READ MORE: Labour civil war over ‘General Election’ demand from minister

After imposing a partial arms embargo on Israel, the UK Government continued to face intense criticism for continuing to supply parts for deadly F-35 bombers.

(Image: PA)

The UK Government under Sir Keir sent spy flights over Gaza during the genocide, which UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese said went “beyond” their stated purpose of facilitating the rescue of hostages and suggested “cooperation in the destruction of Gaza”.

At home, the proscription of Palestine Action under terrorism laws is believed to have resulted in the arrests of more than 3000 people for expressing support for the group.

Elsewhere, Sir Keir’s Government was accused of undermining fundamental principles in English law by proposing to end jury trials in some instances.