Keir Starmer faced his final grilling in parliament on Wednesday, telling MPs he would give his “wholehearted support” to Andy Burnham as the Labour leader prepares to step down after two turbulent years in office.

The outgoing prime minister struck a conciliatory tone during his last Prime Minister’s Questions, saying he wanted both his successor and the country to succeed.

“I will give my wholehearted support to my successor. I want this Labour government to be a success,” Starmer said when asked what advice he had for Burnham.

“I want our country to be a success. I shall give my support privately if asked for, not publicly when not asked for.”

Starmer announced his resignation last month following months of pressure over a series of scandals, missteps and policy reversals that dominated his tenure. He led Labour to victory in the 2024 elections after 14 years in opposition.

Burnham is set to be confirmed as Labour leader on Friday after securing overwhelming backing from the party’s 403 MPs and major trade unions. Labour’s comfortable majority in the 650-seat House of Commons means he will automatically become prime minister.

The usual heated exchanges of Prime Minister’s Questions were replaced with gentle ribbing on Wednesday, with MPs from all parties wishing Starmer well and thanking him for his public service. Several called on him to ensure England wins their World Cup semi-final against Argentina on Wednesday night.

Even opposition Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch softened her tone, though she couldn’t resist a dig: “He spent a long time laughing that I’d lost control of my party. I think he should have been paying attention to his backbenchers instead of mine.”

She warned that changing leaders wouldn’t solve Labour’s problems. “Changing prime minister is not a silver bullet. Indeed, it may be that the Labour Party’s troubles are only just beginning.”

Burnham will replace Starmer on Monday after meeting King Charles III to be asked to form the next government. He will become Britain’s seventh prime minister in a decade.

MPs broke into loud applause as Starmer, a passionate football fan, bid them an emphatic “Goodbye” from the despatch box, saying he had a date with his television at 20:00 for the World Cup match.

“This is the end of my political journey,” he said, though he plans to remain an MP for now.

“In two years in government, I leave the country in better shape than I found it. I am proud of everything that we have achieved.”

Finance minister Rachel Reeves, who is expected to lose her position in the next cabinet, was seen in tears sitting beside him.

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