Will's Word: British politics makes me happy to live in NZ

I'm a bit of a tragic when it comes to British politics.

Like the loser I am, I've sat through every election night coverage since 2015. Perhaps that's because Westminster politics feels familiar, and not all that different from what we have here in New Zealand.

So, watching Keir Starmer walk out of Number 10 and announce his resignation this week felt strangely routine, almost deja vu like.

Over the past decade Britain has burned through Prime Ministers at an extraordinary rate. David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak and now Keir Starmer.

Of course, Brexit cast a long shadow over much of that instability. But the bigger problem is that Britain has developed a habit of treating leadership changes as a solution in themselves. It's almost like they treat replacing the Prime Minister like its the first option, not the last.

And that's a dangerous habit.

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I'd argue changing the person at the top doesn't solve the problems underneath. It doesn't immediately repair divisions inside parties, and it doesn't magically improve the economy.

Ironically, the latest resignation had a touch of poetry to it.

As Starmer delivered his farewell outside Downing Street, loud singing could be heard in the background. Fitting really, after months of hearing the chorus of calls from his own MPs demanding he go.

But for all the theatre, British politics should serve as a cautionary tale.

It's about stability.

Here in New Zealand, we've had leadership changes. But thankfully, we still treat rolling a Prime Minister as a measure of last resort. Something to do only when the political damage has become irreparable.

And that's how it should be.

We talk about political issues in this country, but spare a thought for the folks in Britain.