Blair keeps texting Starmer advice as he moves to No 10

Sir Keir Starmer has revealed that he regularly receives texts from former prime minister Tony Blair with advice on what he needs to do.

- DAVID MADDOX

The Labour leader revealed the detail while talking to The Independent's John Rentoul at his election count in north London just hours before he was confirmed as Britain's new prime minister.

Sir Keir said the advice was "very helpful" and centred around the difficult transition from years of opposition to government, something Sir Tony had to deal with in 1997.

When Sir Tony took power in a landslide victory against John Major's Tories, Labour had been out of power for 17 years. Like now, there were very few Labour MPs who had served as ministers or even been parliamentarians during a Labour government.