'Keir Starmer's close aides and ministers wipe away tears in final PMQs moment'

As Big Ben strikes noon on Wednesdays, the political circus of Prime Minister’s Questions usually comes to town. Insults are hurled, boos are heard, questions are swerved, and even U-turns are performed. But in a rare moment in the chamber today, party rivalries were largely set aside for Keir Starmer’s final appearance at the despatch box. During an emotional 45 minutes, close aides of the Prime Minister and top ministers could be seen wiping away tears as his time in office draws to a close. Tory chief Kemi Badenoch - the Prime Minister’s usual sparring partner - lay down her arms to share jokes with Mr Starmer at Nigel Farage’s expense. She even offered rare praise for his leadership on Ukraine. The Conservative leader singled out his invitation to Ukraine’s wartime leader Zelensky to No10 after he was ambushed by Donald Trump in the Oval Office in February 2025. And she highlighted the “love and support” given to Mr Starmer by his wife, Victoria, and his two children, who were spotted in the chamber on Wednesday. The final intervention came from tearful Labour MP Carolyn Harris - a close friend of the Starmers - who praised the Prime Minister's leadership and “decency”. Mr Starmer signed off, telling the chamber: “Every Prime Minister knows when they take up the torch, that the day will come when they have to pass it on. That day has come for me. This is the end of my political journey.” It was a far cry from Boris Johnson’s sign-off at his final PMQs - almost four years ago - as he told the Commons chamber: “Hasta la vista, baby.” But perhaps the most poignant moment of Mr Starmer's final PMQs centred around the people off-screen he paid tribute to. They were sitting just metres above him in the public gallery of the House of Commons and had inspired the work of his Labour government - from cracking down on knife crime, to record NHS investment. They included Trevor and Luis - who worked together at JLR for 30 years - and whose jobs were threatened by Donald Trump’s tariffs in 2025. Another was Billie-Jean Daniels, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2024 and appeared alongside the PM as he launched his plan for change in December last year. She wiped away tears in the chamber today as the PM said: “She has been a tireless advocate for better cancer care. Billie joins us today from the special needs school where she works in London and I’m pleased to tell the House that Billie’s cancer is in remission.” There was also praise for Pooja Kanda, who was sitting in the public gallery. She campaigned tirelessly for knife crime reform after her 16-year-old son Ronan was stabbed to death in 2022. Labour passed ‘Ronan’s Law’ - named after him. Mr Starmer summed up: “To all those in the gallery whose lives have been changed or improved by this Labour Government, and all across the country who struggle to be seen or heard, you’re the reason I came into politics."