Starmer has real achievements under his belt, but Britain should see real change under Burnham, writes Andrew Marr
Sir Keir Starmer's behaviour on Monday was marked by grace, speed and realism
It's done. There were no apologies in the Prime Minister's resignation speech, nor Keir Starmer's thoughts about where the government and country should be going next.
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And I think to describe the Labour party under his predecessor, Jeremy Corbyn as morally bankrupt will upset a lot of MPs.
But this is a day for generosity, not carping, and the PM's behaviour today has been marked by grace, speed and realism.
He will be remembered more kindly than perhaps seems likely now. He has real achievements under his belt - the election victory, handling Trump, cutting child poverty.
But he was never really a politician - not in the avid, sharp-elbowed, argument-hungry, naturally manipulative sense all the most successful leaders I've known, from Margaret Thatcher to Tony Blair, have been.
How will Andy Burnham do? And for those of you saying, too early to say it's going to be Burnham, what about the contest to come, I'd say pretty much forget all that.
He has the wind at his back, blowing strongly from the north, and the momentum and numbers he needs. He seems right now unbeatable.
Wes Streeting, the other obvious candidate, thinks so too and has backed him today saying: "We could spend the summer exaggerating small differences, or we can roll up our sleeves and help him to deliver the change our party and our country needs."
Despite all that, you are going to hear over the next days and weeks, lots of hostility to Burnham. You'll be told he wasn't much of a minister back in the old days.
You'll be told he keeps changing his mind. You'll be told he's a backstabber, grabbing the top job undemocratically.
I'd just say, let's pause and wait and see. He's changed a lot from his days as a young politician in Westminster.
Yes, he has changed his mind politically. So has almost everybody you can think of, and the ones who never change at all are often the ones who caused the most damage.
As to a backstabber? That's absolutely unfair. He has always made his thoughts on Starmer clear, and he had the courage to put his career where his mouth was, and fight a by election which was by no means a safe bet.
He's been out in the open. And at least, compared to some of the Tory changes of leaders, the voters were directly involved.
Yes, only one constituency but one of the parts of the country which has felt left behind and ignored by Westminster.
So, cards on the table, I think we are going to see real change. I think we're going to have a more persuasive leader, someone who actually likes a fight, likes to make arguments and to win them.
Andrew Marr is an author, journalist and presenter for LBC.
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