Starmer's swift exit made Burnham look good, but now he must become a statesman

Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. If Keir Starmer was hoping for some sort of revenge by stealing his successors PR thunder with the announcement of his resignation as an MP last Monday, I am afraid he missed the target. By some considerable margin. Because while the former Prime Minister was rushing away with a haste that suggested the life of a backbench MP had never been for him, the new kid in town was holding court outlining his vision for the country in contrast with Sir Keir. Of course there is no sin in ambition, even the political sort. But what Starmer's carefully timed announcement did was throw up the question of exactly what his ambition was all along. Some other deposed Prime Ministers have stayed on and worked from the backbenches. READ MORE: 'Get real': Andy Burnham must heed dire warnings about UK's eye-watering £3 trillion national debt Theresa May even fought another general election after spending many hours in the chamber, ensuring that her legacy was not damaged by those who came after. Her presence was seen by many of us as a mark, not just of the respect in which she held parliament, but of her commitment to constituents who had elected her since 1997. In turn her esteem in both their eyes and ours was strengthened. Gordon Brown stayed on, as did Rishi Sunak who still occasionally pops up on the backbenches. For those of us who strive simply to represent our constituents fairly and to the best of our ability, Starmer's speedy departure seems almost offensive. As if that role was not enough for him. It also created an interesting juxtaposition this with week with Burnham whose ambition to be Prime Minister has been described by some as blatant. And yet in another way, he has demonstrated a much greater commitment to community through years of service to Manchester. READ MORE: Call for Swinney to embrace 'Manchester model for Scotland' without radical council overhaul Now of course he has shifted his gaze from local issues to the world stage. The one part of his premiership where Starmer did shine. Burnham has to stand up to Trump, make friends afresh with the French and draw clear lines on where this government stands on the Middle East crisis. He has already made a clear commitment to Ukraine, but we will see if he can transfer the skills that won him support in Manchester onto the world stage as he moves from public transport to meaningful foreign policy. He made a good start this week, even those of us on the opposite benches would have to admit. He spent longer at the despatch box than any other Prime Minister in his first outing on Monday, as he set out his aims and agenda for the remainder of this parliament. And at PMQs on Wednesday, he demonstrated an adeptness which Kemi Badenoch may find a challenge as she pursues her heavily scripted, often turgid interrogations. But parliament can be cruel and success fickle. READ MORE: Andy Burnham v Kemi Badenoch first PMQs match report If he is to succeed, he will need to both exploit that acknowledged commitment to community and demonstrate a hitherto unnecessary statesman-like ability which is demanded on the world stage. His commitment to delivering successful regional strategy and industrialisation at home has an undisputable connection to affairs abroad. Without being able to win both home and away, he may find himself suffering the same fate as his self-absented predecessor. Christine Jardine is the Scottish Liberal Democrat MP for Edinburgh West