Massive wins and the promise of change – but that’s where the Starmer-Albanese similarities end

Ousted British prime minister Keir Starmer and the Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese, during the G7 leaders' summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, last year. Photograph: Getty Images View image in fullscreen Ousted British prime minister Keir Starmer and the Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese, during the G7 leaders' summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, last year. Photograph: Getty Images Analysis Massive wins and the promise of change – but that’s where the Starmer-Albanese similarities end Tom McIlroy While Anthony Albanese calls ousted British PM Keir Starmer his mate, the pair share very different political fortunes Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Anthony Albanese channelled Paul Keating as he spoke to government MPs in Canberra this week, reflecting on the tough work of reform. Keating, Albanese said, considered Labor to be a bit like a bicycle. “It only stands up when you pedal,” the party grandee once warned, suggesting that without ideas, direction or momentum, the whole show falls over. Less than 24 hours earlier, Albanese had lamented the fate of his friend Keir Starmer , for whom things had truly fallen over. On Monday night, Australian time, the British prime minister confirmed he would resign, less than two years on from a landslide election victory. Starmer – the foreign leader with whom Albanese has most closely aligned himself – was the victim of the “harsh business” of politics , Albanese said, with former Manchester mayor Andy Burnham expected to be living at 10 Downing Street within weeks. One Nation opposes measures that make a difference to working people, Albanese says Read more Albanese and Starmer had cooperated and collaborated, sharing policy ideas and messaging, even offering themselves up as the vanguard of progressive middle powers prepared to stand up to Donald Trump. Visiting Liverpool last September, Albanese addressed the Labour conference , defending Starmer’s struggling leadership. He reminded nervous party members that leaders needed time to see their ambitions become reality. But Albanese’s position is fundamentally different to Starmer’s, and his political fortunes are likely to be very different too. Albanese is first and foremost a parliamentarian. He has decades of experience in politics and became prime minister after more than 25 years in Canberra. Starmer, by contrast, entered Westminster a decade ago, after a career as a barrister and director of public prosecutions. Some colleagues accused him of showing contempt for politics and compromising too much on Labour’s values. Since becoming opposition leader in 2019, Albanese’s backers say he has proved himself a skilled manager, maintaining strong relationships across the caucus. Like Starmer, Albanese has a big backbench to grapple with, but has done a better job at consultation and maintaining discipline. In short: he’s better at politics than Starmer. A rough count of the internal rebellions against Starmer reaches dou