The resignation of Sir Keir Starmer as prime minister, less than two years after securing a substantial parliamentary majority, marks another period of uncertainty in British politics.

Whatever our political allegiances, the resignation of a prime minister is a significant moment. Public service at that level carries immense pressures, and I wish Sir Keir and his family well for the future.

However, the country will now have its seventh prime minister in a decade. That degree of political instability has consequences. Governments function best when they have a clear direction, competent leadership and sufficient continuity to turn decisions into meaningful improvements for the public.

The same is true in local government.

When I was re-elected as leader of Hampshire County Council at our annual meeting in May, I said the election result had given every councillor a responsibility to provide stable and effective government for Hampshire.

No party secured an overall majority. Residents delivered a finely balanced council and expected us to behave responsibly, work constructively and concentrate on the services upon which Hampshire’s 1.4 million residents rely.

That remains my approach.

The county council is responsible for services that touch almost every family: caring for older and vulnerable people, protecting children, supporting those with additional needs, maintaining roads, providing school places, operating libraries and household waste recycling centres, and helping communities prepare for emergencies.

Those responsibilities do not pause because the political landscape is difficult. Potholes still need repairing, children still need safe and suitable education, and vulnerable adults still require care and support.

Political turbulence must never become an excuse for administrative paralysis.

Since May, my priority has been continuity: establishing a cabinet capable of taking decisions, maintaining financial discipline and ensuring officers can continue delivering essential services with clarity and confidence.

Stability does not mean avoiding debate or scrutiny. Both are essential to good government. Nor does it require political parties to abandon their principles. It means recognising that, once an election is over, those elected have a duty to govern in the public interest.

It also means being honest about difficult decisions. Hampshire faces severe financial pressures, particularly in adult social care, children’s services and support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities. We cannot promise everything to everyone. We must concentrate resources where they will make the greatest difference, pursue efficiencies and protect essential frontline services.

The coming months will bring further uncertainty nationally, alongside major decisions about devolution and the future structure of local government in Hampshire and the Solent. During that period, residents deserve calm, experienced and determined leadership from their county council.

National politics may be entering another chapter. Here in Hampshire, our responsibility is clear: to provide stability, exercise sound judgement and continue delivering for the people we serve.

That is the task I accepted again in May, and it is the task on which I remain firmly focused.