Keir Starmer resignation fuels ‘Australian disease’ fears as UK political chaos grows
Keir Starmer’s emotional exit has reignited warnings about the so-called ‘Australian disease’ of leadership coups — as Britain faces yet another prime minister.
Keir Starmer’s emotional resignation as British Prime Minister is just the latest example of what was once derided as the “Australian disease”, now causing havoc in UK politics.
Two decades after a series of coups began to be launched against sitting prime ministers in Canberra, Westminster is currently enduring a similar disruptive pattern.
Since Anthony Albanese came to office in 2022, the United Kingdom has had four prime ministers, and will soon have a fifth, prompting questions over whether political turmoil could again take hold in Australia.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Over the weekend Mr Albanese took the unusual step of gently warning British Labour colleagues not to dump his ally and counterpart from the party’s leadership.
“He is a friend of mine, and I hope that Keir Starmer continues to serve as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom,” Mr Albanese said on Sunday.
“We’ll deal with whoever is elected with our partners, but I must say that the history of just changing leaders is not a positive one.”
“I think stability is a good thing, and yeah, I’m on my fourth Liberal Party leader as well. It must be said, and I don’t know how many National Party leaders as well,” Mr Albanese added.
His opponents, such as One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, have leapt on the dramatic overnight events in London to again suggest the Prime Minister should follow Sir Keir into retirement.
“I’d love it, and so would the Australian people . . . It’s clear that the people don’t want Anthony Albanese as the Prime Minister of this country any longer,” Senator Hanson declared on Tuesday.
“The big issue in Britain that I can see is about the mass migration, people coming into the country, people just don’t feel they’re British anymore, they can’t fly the flag, and I see the same thing happening in Australia.”
While Senator Hanson tries to link the political upheaval the UK is experiencing to what’s occurring in Australia, Labor figures are not nearly as concerned as their British counterparts.
“I think this is a set of circumstances that are particular to the UK,” the Prime Minister’s deputy Richard Marles insisted on Tuesday, when asked by reporters if the overnight events in London presented any lessons for Labor here.
“Obviously, this is a matter for the UK, and no doubt they will work through their processes to establish a new prime minister,” the defence minister said as he brushed aside further questions on whether his own leader should be worried.
But inside the Australian Labor Party the guessing game continues over when Mr Albanese, first elected to Parliament 30 years ago, may decide to eventually leave public office.
For years, Treasurer Jim Chalmers has been widely discussed as a future Labor prime minister, but on Tuesday as he fronted the cameras with Mr Albanese to discuss the Budget compromise, another rival was also in frame.
Health Minister Mark Butler is now increasingly being discussed as a leading contender to take the Labor leadership, when the Prime Minister — close left-faction ally of Mr Butler — departs.
For now, Mr Albanese is happy to keep his colleagues guessing but has also recently insisted he intends to be a candidate at the next election due in 2028.
Meanwhile in the UK there are already some strong misgivings emerging inside the Labour party over the continuing scourge of the “Australian disease” that’s seen the dumping of a leader that only won a landslide victory two years ago.
“Were these MPs asleep when the Conservatives tried this?” one disgruntled senior British Labour figure tells The Nightly about the impending ascension of Andy Burnham to the prime ministership.
“They are massively raising expectations about ‘hope’ and ‘change’ but will face exactly the same intractable problems they’re already grappling with, and the voters will be even angrier when he can’t solve them either.”
“Even without all that, he has no mandate and has faced no scrutiny at all so there will be massive pressure from many of the public and certainly the media for an early election and this issue will destroy any legitimacy before he gets going.
“Imagine becoming PM with this level of legitimacy, scrutiny and public support. Incredible, really,” the Labour veteran observed, as if he too has closely observed what has previously occurred in Australian politics.
