Interview Quotes

Optimism for 2026 and Leadership Continuity

"I'm looking forward to 2026. I think it's going to be the year when we turn a corner as a country. A lot of the decisions we took in 2025 will come into force effectively in 2026. And I think that for many people who've waited 16, 17 long years for their living standards to improve, for their public services to improve, they need now to feel the change. And that's what 2026 is going to be about."

— Keir Starmer • 00:33:00

"Well, I will be sitting in this seat by 2027. And if this long form interview works, we can try it again in January of next year as well."

— Keir Starmer • 00:48:20

Acknowledging Public Frustration and Government Action

"Look, I'm not surprised that people are frustrated. I completely get that. The truth is, since the crash in 2008, most people haven't seen their living standards improved. They haven't seen their public services move in the right direction. They've seen them move in the wrong direction. And they've lost trust in politics."

— Keir Starmer • 01:08:55

"Those comments are abhorrent. And I condemn them utterly. So let's be really clear about that."

— Keir Starmer • 01:40:00

"Well, of course I regret that. And your point that somebody in government should have known is one I've made myself to the appropriate team, because I do think I should have been made aware, and I wasn't made aware. And that is a failing within the system, which is why we're carrying out a review. But to meet your challenge, yes, it's a failing within the system. It shouldn't have happened."

— Keir Starmer • 01:57:25

Economic Outlook and International Relations

"The number of people in employment has gone up. The number of people who are inactive and now looking for work has gone up. That's a good thing. But we obviously need to meet the challenge of unemployment, and we will meet that challenge of unemployment."

— Keir Starmer • 02:17:05

"Well, let me first push back on the America deal, because there are key components to that deal, which are in place and safeguarding jobs right now. So we got the best deal in relation to tariffs on car exports to the US. It's hugely important. And around the world, I think you would acknowledge, most other countries say, that they wish they'd been able to get the deal that we got."

— Keir Starmer • 02:50:40

"Well, I've always been clear that we need a closer relationship with the EU. That is in our national interest. And we've taken important steps towards that, with the EU-UK reset, and it is a reset. Relations between the UK and the EU are in the best position they've been for 10 years. And that has meant we've already taken steps."

— Keir Starmer • 03:07:55

"So what I mean by that is, if you look at the deal we've already done with the EU on food and agriculture, we're aligning our rules so that we can access the single market. So that's a sovereign decision that we've made as a government, that it's in our interest to do so."

— Keir Starmer • 03:42:10

"What I would say about the customs union is that I argued for a customs union for many years with the EU. But a lot of water has now gone under the bridge. I do understand why people are saying wouldn't it be better to go to the customs union. I actually think that now we've done deals with the US which are in our national interest. Now we've done deals with India which are in our national interest. We are better looking to the single market rather than the customs union for our further alignment."

— Keir Starmer • 04:01:20

"No. But we are looking at a youth mobility scheme which will be for young people to travel, to work, to enjoy themselves in different European countries to have that experience. Both our young people going to Europe, Europeans coming here. We've committed to that in principle."

— Keir Starmer • 04:20:30

Addressing Illegal Immigration and Asylum Hotels

"Well, on asylum hotels, at their height there were 400 hotels and now there are about 197. Now, some of that was before we came into power. I acknowledge that. But I think it is important with the hotels to just remind ourselves what the sole cause of the hotels was. The last government didn't process asylum claims."

— Keir Starmer • 04:48:15

"I want to end asylum hotels by the end of this parliament. Well, that's what our manifesto commitment was. Which is another three years. No, I know. And therefore, I've said to the system, to the relevant departments, I want to see that brought forward. I want to shorten that. Well, as soon as possible, but no longer the end of parliament. Bring it forward. I want us to close hotels."

— Keir Starmer • 04:59:00

Prospects for Peace in Ukraine and International Law

"I did speak to President Zelensky just an hour or so ago. I think that he's right in saying we're 90% of the way there. So that is a good thing. I think that we're probably closer now than we've been for months, if not since the beginning of this conflict. As I say, there's always a caveat with me because we can't be certain."

— Keir Starmer • 05:32:40

"The other sticking point, of course, is territory, and Donetsk in particular. And I'm really, really clear that issues of territory have to be for Ukraine, without being over optimistic, because these things can move around. I do, I mean, 2026 seems to me the year in which we could make significant progress towards peace in Ukraine."

— Keir Starmer • 06:06:50

"So every month through the letterbox, people are paying more because of the conflict. So it's in our interests to find a lasting, peaceful solution to this conflict."

— Keir Starmer • 06:19:45

"Well, I want to get all the material facts together. And we simply haven't got the full picture at the moment. It's fast moving. And we need to piece that together."

— Keir Starmer • 06:39:20

"Well, two responses to that. Firstly, I do think that we're in a more volatile world than we have been for many, many years. And I'm really struck by the fact that what is happening internationally has much more of a direct impact on the UK than at any time that most of us can remember."

— Keir Starmer • 07:16:00

Resilience in Leadership and Political Strategy

"Well, Laura, under the last government, we saw constant chopping and changing of leadership, of teams. It caused utter chaos, utter chaos. And it's amongst the reasons that the Tories were booted out so effectively at the last election. Nobody but nobody wants to go back to that. It's not in our national interest."

— Keir Starmer • 07:43:10

"Well, almost every week somebody writes that this is the worst week in politics. You can't have 52 worst weeks in politics. You don't win the general election on Twitter. And so there is an element in which you do have to just rise above that and remind yourself, what's the change we've actually brought about? How's that made a material difference to people's lives?"

— Keir Starmer • 08:05:00

"I'm really proud of that. I'm really taking children out of poverty. I'm getting that record investment in, championing apprenticeships so young people can have the chance. We don't just walk past them. I'm proud of all that change. That's what I came into politics to do. I had nine years in opposition, the most frustrating nine years of my life. And I wouldn't swap a single day of being in power for a decade of being in opposition."

— Keir Starmer • 08:17:35