With a sweltering summertime heatwave under way across London and much of the south of the country, Mr Starmer stood at what has become known as the “podium of doom” in the middle of Downing St on a soupy mid-morning.
Accompanied by his wife Victoria, he outlined his achievements and announced he was leaving with “good grace” after hearing the answer from the Labour Party that he was not the best person to lead them into the next general election.
Meanwhile in the north, above that mythical border which many southerners consider runs about 50km beyond London, the heat was not quite as literal but just as metaphorical. There, the former mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, the recently elected Labour MP for Makerfield, was watching Mr Starmer’s statement eagerly and preparing to catch a train south.
Just over half an hour later, the “King of the North” as his followers and detractors have nicknamed him, was rattling towards the capital, having just told journalists on the platform he would be running for prime minister.
After dodging more media and crowds on arrival in London, the news came through to Mr Burnham that former health secretary Wes Streeting had decided not to contest the leadership and was instead backing him for the top job.
That pretty much means Mr Burnham is a shoo-in for No 10, given Mr Streeting has effectively handed him the 81 MPs he had collected as required to trigger a potential leadership contest.
Whether anyone else chooses to stand against Mr Burnham determines how quickly he can secure his rise to the top. Mr Starmer announced nominations would formally open on July 9, and it is possible his adversary may be in place on the 17th, at the start of the summer recess, if unopposed.
Otherwise, Mr Starmer will stay the incumbent until Parliament returns at the start of September, following a wider ballot of party faithful, including unions.
It certainly appears unlikely at this stage it will be a full-on leadership contest. Mr Burnham is riding high on the shoulders of his supporters in his new electorate and with the overwhelming backing of Cabinet ministers.
There is a massive amount of hoopla surrounding Mr Burnham, who at 56 is seven years younger than the prime minister. He seems to have a great deal more energy and more charisma than Mr Starmer, though as several commentators have said, Mr Burnham is the embodiment of sheen or style over substance.
Unkindly coined Keir “Starbot” by some in the UK, it is true Mr Starmer rarely wore his heart on his sleeve. There was more obvious emotion in his resignation announcement this week than in the past two years as prime minister.
He talked with King Charles on the telephone before making his statement. This would have been an interesting call given the similarities between the two, both being earnest, well-intentioned and rather reserved characters.
The prime minister’s apparent impassiveness is one of the factors behind his downfall. He was also blamed for extremely poor by-election results and damaged by the scandal surrounding the disgraced Peter Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador to the United States.
It’s hard to believe the scale of the fall from leading Labour to its massive election victory just two years ago. But we have seen this in New Zealand too, from the huge Labour mandate under Dame Jacinda Ardern in 2020 to that government’s scuttling in 2023.
Mr Burnham’s trouncing of the right-wing Reform UK party candidate in the Makerfield by-election just last week gives the UK confidence there is another way ahead which circumvents the ugly xenophobia around immigration which is dividing the nation.
Unfortunately, as popular as he may be, if chosen he will face the same financial and infrastructural issues Mr Starmer has struggled to deal with.
