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Isa Soares Tonight
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer Announces His Resignation; U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance Hails Great Progress In Talks With Iran To Reach A Final Deal; Trump-Backed Candidate Abelardo de la Espriella Wins In A Preliminary Result In Colombia's Presidential Runoff; U.K.'s Starmer Resigns As Prime Minister; Iranian Team Leaves Thank You Note For World Cup Host City. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired June 22, 2026 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
ISA SOARES, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: A very warm welcome to the show, everyone, I'm Isa Soares coming to you live from Downing Street. Tonight,
Britain's revolving door. Prime Minister Keir Starmer resigns, paving the way for a seventh leader in a decade of political upheaval. I'll speak with
a Labor MP who made a last-minute U-turn on Mr. Starmer.
Then to delicate diplomacy. U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance hails great progress in talks with Iran to reach a final deal. We'll go live to
Switzerland for the very latest. And Trump-backed candidate Abelardo de la Espriella wins in a preliminary result in Colombia's presidential runoff.
I'll ask former President Juan Manuel Santos where the election leaves Colombia. Plus, Argentina's Lionel Messi makes men's World Cup history as
the all-time leading goal scorer. That, and much more ahead this hour.
Good evening, everyone, it is 7:00 p.m. here in London, and we begin with what has been an extraordinary day for British politics. In the space of
just a few hours, we have seen the resignation of Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his likely successor, the man there you're looking on your
screen, Andy Burnham taking a victory lap inside the houses of parliament.
Speaking this morning in front of Number 10, where I'm standing now, Mr. Starmer announced he was stepping down following months of pressure and a
growing mutiny within his own party. It is a stunning fall from grace for a leader who led Labor to a landslide victory less than two years ago.
Well, in that very speech, the outgoing Prime Minister said he'd heard his party's message loud and clear. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEIR STARMER, PRIME MINISTER, UNITED KINGDOM: The question my party is asking now is whether I am best-placed to lead us into the next general
election. I have heard the answer of my parliamentary party to that question, and I accept that answer with good grace.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, Andy Burnham who had been until now the charismatic mayor of Greater Manchester, is widely expected to replace Mr. Starmer. He was only
sworn in as a member of parliament, by the way, this afternoon, and right now, all signs suggest he will run for the leadership unchallenged.
Britain is now looking at a sixth Prime Minister in just seven years, and whoever takes on the job -- top job will be facing an onslaught of foreign
as well as domestic challenges from day one. Let's get more on Mr. Starmer's troubled premiership and the recent events that led to his
resignation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Keir Starmer promised to restore integrity to British politics.
STARMER: The fight for trust is the battle that defines our age.
SEBASTIAN: And yet the moment he swept into Downing Street with one of the biggest mandates in modern British history, would mark the peak of his
popularity.
STARMER: But we have to take the tough decision to stabilize our economy.
[14:05:00]
SEBASTIAN: Progress on domestic reforms, widely seen as slow and fraught with U-turns. On the global stage, he seemed on steadier ground, securing
three major trade deals, including with the U.S. playing a leading role in rallying support for Ukraine and standing his ground over the U.S.-Israeli
war with Iran.
STARMER: I will never let this country be dragged into a war that is not in our interest. Never!
(APPLAUSE)
SEBASTIAN: But one decision would come to haunt him; the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington, only to fire him nine months
later. A veteran, yet controversial Labor figure, Starmer hoped Mandelson would build bridges with the Trump administration.
There were existing warnings about his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, though it was not known then how deep that relationship
ran. In February, Mandelson was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office, a charge he denies.
Though, he has said publicly he regrets his friendship with Epstein and apologized to Epstein's victims. And he wasn't the only one apologizing.
STARMER: I am sorry, sorry for what was done to you. Sorry, that so many people with power failed you. Sorry for having believed Mandelson's lies
and appointed him.
SEBASTIAN: In May, local and regional elections revealing the extent of Starmer's fall from that 2024 landslide, and the fragility of the trust he
had promised to restore pressure from within his own party, eventually leading to this.
STARMER: Every decision I have taken has been about putting the country I love first. That is why I will resign as leader of the Labor Party.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: And Clare Sebastian is with me now. And it was quite a moment hearing --
SEBASTIAN: Yes --
SOARES: From Keir Starmer out here in the podium. He got incredibly emotional. Clearly, he did not want to be in this position. And you could
see how that -- what that meant to him. Just speak first before we speak, we look forward, Clare, about just the extraordinary day has been today in
British politics. Here we are again.
SEBASTIAN: I think however much these things are expected, and certainly, there had been a lot of questions --
SOARES: Yes --
SEBASTIAN: Swirling around his premiership even before those disastrous local elections at the beginning of May for labor, we had the Mandelson
saga as the --
SOARES: Yes --
SEBASTIAN: The piece laid out. There were other policy missteps and U-turns that he were accused of -- he was accused of throughout his premiership,
and his popularity rating has been on a downward slope really ever since that election in July of 2024.
So, it was expected. But he had fought so hard to avoid that moment. He had said all along, even up until Friday morning last week, as the results had
become clearer in the Makerfield byelection, he had said all along that if there was a leadership race, he would -- he would run in it.
He was not going to walk away from this historic mandate that he'd been given. But I think the pressure from the party rising throughout the
weekend, the size of Andy Burnham's victory, albeit in a small local byelection.
But the size of his victory really proved that he had the momentum behind him, and was going to have the support of the party. And ultimately what
this party wants to do --
SOARES: Yes --
SEBASTIAN: Is defeat Reform --
SOARES: Yes --
SEBASTIAN: This rising insurgency --
SOARES: Which Andy Burnham has done --
SEBASTIAN: You know --
SOARES: Fresh and very well --
SEBASTIAN: Right, he's shown the blueprint --
SOARES: Yes --
SEBASTIAN: In the Makerfield byelection.
SOARES: I remember though, I remember Keir Starmer saying if there was to be, you know, a leadership contest, that he would go for it.
SEBASTIAN: Yes.
SOARES: What changed? He didn't say that today.
SEBASTIAN: No, and he -- look, I mean, gradually over the weekend the messaging changed when his business --
SOARES: Yes --
SEBASTIAN: Secretary was there -- was out on Sunday saying that he's Chequers, he's thinking about the political realities in front of him.
There comes a point in British politics when you have simply -- it's not just about the popular support of the people.
He had lost the support of his party, and there were rumors over the weekend that high-profile cabinet members, the likes of Yvette Cooper --
SOARES: Yes --
SEBASTIAN: The Foreign Secretary was speaking to the Prime Minister and telling him to set out a timetable. And I think at that point it just
becomes too much pressure. And I think for the sake of the country and for the sake of the Labor Party, because he's only the seventh Labor Prime
Minister ever. This party has not spent a lot of time in power --
SOARES: No --
SEBASTIAN: Compared to the other party, and they really don't want to squander that opportunity.
SOARES: Clare Sebastian, thank you very much indeed. Well, let's stick with this. Joining me now is Labor member of parliament, who had been a staunch
defender of the Prime Minister just up until the past few days or so.
Peter Swallow joins me now. And Peter, good to see you. You had signed from what I understand, a letter previously backing the Prime Minister. But then
on Friday, you said it was time for him to go. Today, as we've seen, he's been forced out. Just explain to our viewers why you changed your mind.
PETER SWALLOW, BRITISH LABOR MP: Well, look, Keir Starmer has, you know, achieved so much as our Prime Minister and as leader of my party, you know,
winning a general election two years ago, lifting 500,000 children out of poverty, keeping us out of the war in Iran, cutting our NHS waiting lists.
He's achieved very many things, and I'm really proud to have served under him. I think for me, when I sort of changed my view and thought that it
probably was time for him to step down, it was a couple of weeks ago when our Defense Secretary resigned over defense investment funding.
[14:10:00]
I served a constituency with, you know, very close ties to the army. And for me, investing in defense is very much a priority. And I thought that
was one step too far. But look, I don't think today is, you know, anyone in my party has anything other than, you know, huge respect for the Prime
Minister for what he's achieved.
And in fact, also for the way in which he stepped down today, and the incredible speech that he gave on the steps of Downing Street.
SOARES: Yes, incredibly moving too. Look, I was looking at some IPSOS polling, and I was surprised to see that Starmer's personal rating was
among the lowest as Prime Minister in modern times. I mean, falling well below Theresa May, Rishi Sunak, Boris Johnson. Why do you think that is,
given of course, this landslide a mandate only just two years ago?
SWALLOW: I think some of that is just the nature of politics today. I mean, it's similar in America. If you look at some of your politicians and, you
know, popularity not being what it once was, it is also --
SOARES: Yes --
SWALLOW: The case that sort of -- any -- with any political leader needs to be able to connect with the public. And Keir Starmer is a good and an
honorable man, but I think at times, has struggled to make that personal connection with the voters.
And, you know, that is not where his strength lies. They lie elsewhere. That doesn't take away from his incredible legacy. I think that has always
been something that, you know, colleagues in our party have always been very mindful of.
SOARES: So, Peter, let's look ahead for our viewers there, and really the challenges that the next Prime Minister will face, potentially Andy Burnham
seems to be the only one who so far has thrown his hat in the ring. We've got the National Health Service tax and spend, defense spending, which you
alluded to.
What does Andy Burnham have up his sleeve or what does he have? What does he bring that Keir Starmer just didn't have?
SWALLOW: I think that any government needs to get two things right. They need to have the right policies to shape the country and deliver on the
change that they were elected to implement. And they also need to be able to tell the story of that change, connect to the voters, explain both the
challenges and the achievements in a -- in a way that cuts through and allows constituents to understand where we've been, where we're going and
the journey to get there.
I think a lot of what we've achieved in the first few years of government has been really successful in terms of the policy side of things. And I'm -
-
SOARES: So, you think it's more communication --
SWALLOW: Very proud of --
SOARES: Problem. Sorry to interrupt, Peter. Is this more a communication problem then?
SWALLOW: I think that, look, you know, I want to go further and faster on some of the issues that we're attempting to change. I do think that there
is improvements to be made on policy side as well. But I do think a large part of that puzzle is the communication.
You know, communication without policy doesn't get you very far, but you do need to be able to connect with the public.
SOARES: And Burnham, as some of our viewers know, has the moniker, "king of the north". But outside of that, many people actually do not know him. I'm
going to play this. Have a listen. We can talk afterwards.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm glad really. Just needed a change. I think like most of the country are probably feeling the same way as what I am. Like, all
you're hearing is like how much of a bad job he's doing.
CHARLES GUTHRIE, LAWYER: I felt Keir Starmer was a decent guy. And it just seems to be a modern-day phenomenon that British Prime Ministers don't last
very long. So, it's very -- disappointed with that.
BART KUCHRSKI, LABORER: Well, I think it's good because I'm living here 18 years, and since I came over here was -- this country was beautiful. You
could work, live, do whatever you like. Right now, you just work like a slave and you can't -- you don't have money for nothing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: So, different voices and opinions there, Peter. But what do you think he needs to do, Burnham here in the next kind of two weeks to
convince those that voted for Starmer that change will come with him? What has -- does he have to get right in the next two weeks?
SWALLOW: Yes, I mean, you said that Andy has been the "king of the north" for a long time. I think he's got a huge amount of experience from being
the mayor of Greater Manchester, and some of what he's achieved up in Greater Manchester is so incredible.
He will now need to speak to not just the north, but the whole country. I'm an MP from the southeast of England and, you know, my constituents also
feel that they've been left behind, that there are cost of living pressures across our country.
[14:15:00]
And Andy will need to speak to all of -- all of -- all of our communities. I do think that cost of living is probably the number one issue for my
voters and actually for everyone in the country. It is an incredibly tough time --
SOARES: Yes --
SWALLOW: At the moment. We've done some stuff to make that easier, but there is definitely more to do.
SOARES: Yes, look, he oversaw -- important to point out, a city of 3 million, now he has to, if he does end up or just behind me at 10 Downing
Street, you'll have a country of 70 million. So, it's quite the task at hand. Peter Swallow, really, as always, really appreciate it, thanks,
Peter.
We're going to stay with the story throughout this hour. Do you want to turn my attention to one of the challenges, of course, that the next Prime
Minister will have to face, and that is the geopolitics, the foreign policy.
The U.S. is easing decades old sanctions on Iran to allow for oil sales, as it reports progress on diplomatic efforts for a final peace agreement. Vice
President J.D. Vance says talks with Iranian officials in Switzerland have laid what he called a very good foundation for a deal.
He says Iran has agreed to let U.N. nuclear inspectors into the country and to set up mechanisms, he says, for keeping the Strait of Hormuz open and
deconflicting regional wars. Lead negotiators are now heading home, leaving behind technical teams to hash out the details.
Meantime, Iran's Foreign Minister says the first real test of the interim deal, well, is Lebanon. The U.S. and Iran have agreed to prevent fighting
from erupting there again. But Israel was not party to the deal, and says its troops will remain in southern Lebanon and respond to any Hezbollah
threats. Iran says a lot of hard work remains ahead.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES DAVID VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We want Israel's security to be protected, and we also want Lebanon's sovereignty to be
protected, and this is going to be an ongoing conversation. The Israelis have been very clear they do not have territorial intentions on south
Lebanon.
The reason they feel they have to be there is because they're worried about Hezbollah fighters in south Lebanon firing into Israel. We do believe, of
course, it's going to require a lot of hard work, that we can get to a place where Lebanon's territorial integrity and sovereignty is protected.
Israel's security is protected, that's going to require some coordination with the Lebanese Armed Forces, and also, it's going to require the
Iranians to rein in Hezbollah. That's all the sort of things that we were talking about yesterday.
And again, I think that we got much further compared to where we were just 24 hours ago.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, the hard work outline there on Lebanon, but there could be other major challenges as well as Iran is already pushing back on Vance's
statement about U.N. nuclear inspections. Our Nic Robertson joins us now from Switzerland.
So, Nic, just lay out the facts here. What are you hearing? We've heard what Vance has said. What are you hearing from the Iranian side on this?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, I think what we've heard is pretty much both sides selling the deal to their populations. What
the Vice President said about IAEA inspectors really reflected what was already agreed by both sides and signed by the President in the Memorandum
of Understanding that Iran had agreed to let IAEA inspectors in.
Now, the Iranians have pushed back that, saying essentially, they're already there. They have limited access. They've had limited access since
the 12-day war last Summer when the United States struck the mountain under which the highly-enriched uranium was in bunkers, effectively sitting in
those bunkers.
There is a very clear tension around what an IAEA inspection team or regime may look like as a result of the Memorandum of Understanding. But it was
already clear both sides had agreed that the IAEA inspectors would be there.
But it did seem important for J.D. Vance to sell that to the American audience as a big positive, even though it was already agreed. But I think
it also indicates trying to nail down bits of the Memorandum of Understanding that are only sort of loosely attached, that both sides could
just about agree on a similar language to get them to sign it.
The details, of course, have yet to be worked out, and that's what's supposed to happen in the 57 days remaining. And that's where it will get
contentious. Looking back just briefly to the -- to the previous Iran nuclear deal, Iran let IAEA inspectors into the country.
Tensions with them and with the project itself eroded and got worse. And those inspectors had less access, less visas, shorter time in the country.
They had to give more notice before visiting certain sites. These are all details that will have to be hammered out in the future.
And I think the tension begins when you get into that minutia. But I think what the -- what the difference in opinion is right now is, both sides are
selling for their own domestic constituencies and already sort of arguing over the details that haven't even been discussed yet.
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SOARES: And Nic, from what I understand as well, the Vice President today also described an initiative for on the unfreezing, I understand, of
Iranian assets. So, what do we know about that?
ROBERTSON: Yes, and again, this is something that we're already hearing the Iranians push back on again, both selling this thing, which has to be
agreed in detail. The timing was part of the Memorandum of Understanding.
The United States has given Iran those sorts of immediate waivers now on sanctions so that they can export oil and make money. But Iran also wants
its frozen assets returned, and it also wants the actual sanctions themselves lifted.
And they had said as much that some of that was coming, the Foreign Minister had said that after the meeting. J.D. Vance put it this way for
the American audience that Iran would only get those -- that frozen money that's in banks in Qatar if the U.S. gave it a green light, if the Qataris
gave it a green light, and the money would only be used, he said, to buy U.S. agricultural products to feed the Iranian population.
Clearly, setting out the tone that if Iran gets money as a result of this deal, it's not going to spend it on its proxies, on the -- on the terrorist
groups that are so concerned many of this deal's opponents in the U.S., he's playing to a domestic audience.
But again, the difference of how this is done, when it's done, how it's articulated to the individual populations, these are the issues that are
going to dog this MOU all the way until it's completely buttoned up. And that might be quite a long way off.
SOARES: Nic Robertson there for us in Lucerne in Switzerland. Thank you very much, Nic. Well, Ukraine has a new target in its effort to beat back
the Russian invasion. It is hitting energy targets in Crimea, which Russia seized from Ukraine back in 2014.
This, you're looking at now is a drone footage of an attack on an oil depot in Crimea. The attacks have led to fuel rationing and power outages across
the Black Sea Peninsula, and Kyiv hopes that making life difficult in Crimea will put more pressure on Vladimir Putin to negotiate an end to the
conflict.
So far, it hasn't had that effect. Protests in Albania now in their fourth straight week with anti-government outrage, really only growing stronger.
We've been showing you pictures almost every day here from the capital, Tirana.
The demonstrations began, as you know, as opposition to a planned luxury coastal resort linked to U.S. President Donald Trump's family. But since
then, they have swelled into calls for Albania's Prime Minister, Edi Rama, to resign amid accusations that we've been hearing from those protesting of
corruption, as well as neglect of the people's needs.
Over the weekend, protesters vandalized the construction site of a former luxury development along southern Albania's coast. As you can see there, it
is not related, by the way, to the Trump family-backed project, but it does underscore the movements growing discontent.
We'll continue to stay on top of this story for you. And still to come tonight, the sweltering heat that is spreading across Europe. To tell you,
it's very hot here in the U.K., plus our Melissa Bell has the unusual order French officials gave due to the heat. You want to see that.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:25:00]
SOARES: Welcome back. I'm live at Downing Street where British Prime Minister Keir Starmer resigned under pressure earlier today in what was an
emotional announcement. The U.K. will soon have its seventh Prime Minister in the ten years since Brexit.
Well, Britain's decision to leave the European Union kicked off a decade of political chaos. I'll have much more ahead on this story with Max Foster
later on the show in about six minutes or so. And it's not just the U.K. Prime Minister feeling the heat, scorching temperatures is spreading right
across Europe.
A heat dome is sitting over the continent for the second time in two months. That's when high pressure systems trap hot air and then push it
down. Heat alerts have been issued in 26 countries, stretching from Ireland to Greece.
The U.K. could even reach all-time temperatures for June. It's very hot here today. And meantime in Spain, a World Cup fan zone was closed due to
excessive heat, only about 20 percent of European homes have air conditioning.
Well, in France, temperatures have exceeded 40-degree Celsius if you're doing the math, that is about 104 Fahrenheit in some spots. Our Melissa
Bell is in Paris with how authorities are handling the heat there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MELISSA BELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): It is an intensifying heatwave that is spreading across Europe from Greece all the
way through to the west of the continent. Here in the world's fastest warming continent, we are seeing a heat wave that authorities are warning
will not just intensify, but could prove much longer than average.
We're already here in France, we've been seeing sweltering temperatures for the last few days, including here, the Canal Saint-Martin in Paris,
normally you're not allowed to swim, but they made a special exception with many people just seeking a little respite from these temperatures.
Some of the highest expected here in Paris today, with authorities predicting they could be some of the French capital's highest-ever on
record. We saw it already on Sunday. France had its national music festival, the Fete de la Musique across the country in those hardest-hit
parts of the country.
The public consumption of alcohol was banned in order to try and protect people's health authorities, really warning people to stay at home as much
as they can. What we're seeing are these alerts across the continent and across with red alerts here across half of France.
They're the highest level of alert, with things only likely to get worse. What we expect is an intensification through to Wednesday, Thursday, by
which time the heat wave should move northwards. It is in the United Kingdom that they expect their heat wave to come Wednesday and Thursday.
Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Yes, and this has really saved me in this heat in public transport. Save a life, save along with the water. Still to come here on the show as
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer calls it quits, we'll have a look at his legacy, not just here in the U.K., but right around the world. That is
next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:30:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: And returning to our top story this hour, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer calling it quits after months of questions over his ability, of
course, to stay in the top job.
It was the election of leadership challenger Andy Burnham that really sealed Starmer's fate. Burnham today sworn in, likely to lead the
competition to take over as Labour leader. And the troubles first began for Starmer early this year over his appointment of Epstein associate Peter
Mandelson. Paired with economic frustrations, local election losses and the rise of the Reform Party, Starmer lost the confidence of Labour colleagues.
It makes him the sixth Prime Minister in the last ten years right here in the U.K. He leaves behind a legacy of reinvigorating the Labour Party and
restoring relations with the E.U.
World leaders, meantime, taking the opportunity today to thank Starmer. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying thank you for always being
in touch, always engaged and always striving to do what is needed and what will truly help. Ireland's Taoiseach Mike Martin sent his best wishes to
Sir Keir, calling him a man of great ability, decency and honor, while adding that he set a new direction and depth in the relationship between
Ireland the U.K.
And then France's President Emmanuel Macron, two X's you can see there, thanking Starmer for strengthening Franco-British relations as well as
commitment to the Coalition of the Willing and renewing the relations with the European Union. Lots of applause, of course, on the foreign policy
front.
Our Max Foster is live with me now. And it's interesting to see how, you know, the kind of the response you've had from European leaders and others
even from Zelenskyy because he has really done well on the question of foreign policy, at least in Europe and Ukraine. Things have slightly
changed with the United States in that relationship.
MAX FOSTER, CNN LONDON CORRESPONDENT: Yes, but I never hear Keir. They used to see it, that's what they used to call him here, because he was always
travelling and always on the world stage. A bit like Macron, you know, popular on the world stage, very effective on the world stage, but
ineffective on the domestic stage.
Indecision, U-turns, no real strategy, coming in with the most incredible wave of support, one of the biggest landslides in modern history, probably
the biggest one, you could argue, because Tony Blair took longer to get there. And he came in with this huge position, but he didn't know how to
use it effectively when he got here.
SOARES: And it's interesting because on the foreign policy stage, he was actually very charismatic and the leaders really warmed to him, but that
didn't seem to happen here in the U.K., at least that's what voters have been saying, that he just wasn't very personable, he didn't really, was
able to communicate that message well.
FOSTER: No, when he was talking today and at the end he cried, everyone was blown away, because he suddenly saw some personality. He's seen as boring,
but that is what people wanted, you know, in this period. A bit like Theresa May came in after Boris Johnson.
But again, you're seeing the same reaction to the boringness, you're bringing someone in who's full of character and personality, and Andy
Burnham, and there's been a reaction to that, I think, they want someone with some personality.
But what they're missing with Andy Burnham is any knowledge of anything that he stands for, because we know how effective he is in the north of
England, we don't even know any of his national policies, let alone international policies.
[14:35:00]
SOARES: Well, this is the thing, you know, some -- we had some thoughts and voices from some voters, saying, you know, I voted for Starmer, I don't
know anything about the king of the north. And that is it, isn't it? He hasn't really been challenged, and won't be challenged in the question of
ideas and policy.
FOSTER: No, in Makefield, Clare was up there, you couldn't ask him any questions about even national policies, he said this is a local election.
He's managed to ignore all of those questions. But the reality is, probably, you know, he's a big beast of the Labour Party, whatever he says,
you know, he was here for decades, he went to Manchester. He's very much -- he's pretty much got the same policies as Keir Starmer, probably. I think
the hope is that he'll be more effective at pushing them through.
And you mentioned Trump, perhaps standing up to Trump, because Keir Starmer, what would you describe him as, the whisperer --
SOARES: He was called the Trump whisperer earlier on.
FOSTER: Yes, because he was seen as having this amazing strategy for basically sucking up to Trump. And that hasn't worked for him, because
Trump kept on laying into him, and now he's pushed back over the Iran war, not getting involved in that. We're seeing Giorgia Meloni doing the same
thing.
So, I think you're going to have Andy Burnham come in, learning from that experience, and perhaps being quite tough on Trump, actually. He actually
said something on the campaign trail last week. I'll just drag it up. And it's not about Trump, but he says the path we're on, if we're not careful,
is a path towards the politics of the United States of America, a polarized, poisonous politics where people in communities don't work
together anymore. So, that's what he's coming in with.
So, he wants to bring unity. I don't think he's going to have much with Starmer, I don't think they're too keen on each other. But he does have
this amazing -- I mean, when everyone meets him, they always think he's great. So --
SOARES: Great communicator, very charismatic. Let's see whether that works as well, not just at home, but also internationally.
FOSTER: And we're asking already, before he's even got the job, how long he's going to last, because he'll be the seventh prime minister in a decade
if he does come in next month.
SOARES: Brutal, absolutely brutal British politics, isn't it?
FOSTER: Absolutely.
SOARES: Max, thank you very much indeed. Well, meanwhile, as the moving trucks are set to arrive for the Starmers, there's one resident on No. 10
Downing that isn't going anywhere. The so-called Mouser-in-Chief, Larry the Cat, I saw him earlier today, is set to welcome a seventh prime minister
into the famous resident. At 19 years old, the adopted moggy has spent more than 15 years as the first feline since being adopted by David Cameron.
Reacting to today's news, the -- Larry the Cat account on X released this statement. I can't believe I'm actually reading it out. I have accepted
Keir Starmer's resignation as my chief servant and have invited Andy Burnham to lay out details for how many meals a day he'll give me. Watch
this space.
And still to come tonight, Colombia is at a crossroads with a far-right populist who may take the helm as president. We'll speak with former
president and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Juan Manuel Santos. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:40:00]
SOARES: Well, in Colombia, a razor-thin margin for the man known as El Tigre, the tiger, far-right candidate Abelardo de la Espriella. He won the
preliminary vote count in Colombia's presidential elections on Sunday. The populist was endorsed by U.S. President Donald Trump. And he has promised
voters a nigh-fisted crackdown on decades of crime and armed conflict.
But his election would be a massive cultural and political shift for the country. His rival, left-wing candidate Ivan Cepeda, is urging voters to
wait for the final binding count. Cepeda said his team is going to challenge results from more than 30,000 voting stations.
Stefano Pozzebon is in Barranquilla, the beautiful city of Barranquilla in Colombia, and joins me now. So, Stefano, I mean, it seems that Cepeda is
not giving up here, hasn't conceded. Give us a sense of the mood right now.
STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Yes, we think that both campaigns, in terms of mood, are trying to maintain calm, are trying to quiet down the
situation. There were actually fairly big protests in some cities of Colombia. Of course, not here in Barranquilla, which is the hometown and
bastion of Abelardo de la Espriella.
But, for example, in the city of Cali, or in the southern periphery of Bogota, which are areas closely associated with the left, when we did see
some clashes and some protests overnight, minor ones, by the way. But I think that both campaigns are trying to say, let's just wait for the
results. Let's just wait for the electoral authority to give back to us. And normally here in Colombia, that is a process that takes between three
and four days.
And just to give you context, Isa, this is the very first time in Colombian history that a second round of a presidential election is so close.
Actually, too close to call with a preliminary result. Normally, the discrepancy between the preliminary results and the official vote count is
less than one percentage point.
And so, that's why most Colombian politicians would accept the preliminary results as a reliable indicator of who won the election. But given that
this election in particular is so tight, with less than 250,000 votes that are separating the two candidates, well, of course, both campaigns are
trying to be careful.
And even speaking with members of Abelardo de la Espriella's team this morning, we got a sense that they are still trying to keep their cards
close to their chest and understanding how to move forward in this couple of days before the electoral authorities will give back to us and publish
the official and final results.
In the meantime, de la Espriella spoke last night here in Barranquilla, for example, and he seemed to pivot from the vitriolic rhetoric that propelled
him to this victory to an image of a more cautious, almost like a statement, and making a direct appeal to the people that voted for Cepeda.
Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ABELARDO DE LA ESPRIELLA, WINNER OF PRELIMINARY COUNT IN COLOMBIA RUNOFF (through translator): There won't be retaliation. There won't be
persecution. Because in democracy, there are no enemies to the death. There are only fellow countrymen who think differently.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
POZZEBON: So, we said a candidate that has aligned himself very closely with Donald Trump, with the Make America Great Again world yesterday, for
example, at his campaign. We saw a lot of people with a hat saying Making Colombia Great Again, similar to what we see in Brazil when we go to
Bolsonaro's rallies or Argentina when we go to Milei's rally.
It seems like there is a regional trend here in Latin America of people moving to the right and to this particular flavor of the right, the MAGA
world, but also de la Espriella showing caution and perhaps trying to appeal to the 40 million Colombians, 35 million Colombians that actually
did not vote for him directly. Isa.
SOARES: Stefano Pozzebon there for us in Barranquilla in Colombia. Thank you very much, Stefano. And hood to see you.
Well, joining me now is former president of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos. He served as president from 2010 to 2018 and was awarded the Nobel Peace
Prize in 2016 for his efforts in leading complex peace negotiations to end more than five decades of armed conflict. President Santos, great to have
you back on the show.
Let me just pick up from when really my colleague left off there, Stefano, in Barranquilla, telling us that this was a razor-thin election, of course,
and votes, as you heard, still being counted, although preliminary votes suggest Espriella de la Espriella has won. I know you have congratulated
him on X, but now comes, of course, the job of uniting the country. Speak to the challenges ahead at a time of deep internal politics.
[14:45:00]
JUAN MANUEL SANTOS, FORMER COLOMBIAN PRESIDENT: Well, thank you, Isa, and very good to be with you again. The first thing I want to underline is
there were expectations of fraud or violence, and what we had was a very, very good election. It was a very clear and transparent process. This is
something that is important to highlight, and this doubt about the electoral results has no basis. The result was very clear, and I think
nothing is going to change in the next two or three days.
On the other hand, the result so close, the closest ever, less than 1 percent, has different effects. On the one hand, there's no clear mandate
for the new government, and because he doesn't have any majority in Congress, his party is very small, he's going to have problems of
governability, the ability to create consensus in order to approve the necessary laws that will fix the problems that he's going to inherit.
So, he's going to have to make a very effective and good effort in order to bring the other side to some basic agreements, and that is his first and
most important challenge.
SOARES: Yes.
SANTOS: And --
SOARES: Look --
SANTOS: -- also the -- yes. Go ahead.
SOARES: No, I wanted to just interject there slightly, because I want to focus, if I may, President Santos, on what we have heard from de la
Espriella. You know, you outlined some of the challenges, but what he campaigned on was revisiting key aspects of the peace framework and taking
a much harder security approach.
You have previously said, and you can correct me if I'm wrong here, that the peace agreement, which of course earned you a Nobel Peace Prize, is not
a government policy, but a commitment of the Colombian state. Do you fear that de la Espriella's administration will seek to dismantle part of it?
SANTOS: Well, the peace agreement is now part of our constitution. He would have to change the constitution in order to change his obligation to
implement the peace agreement, and I am absolutely sure that he will not find a majority in Congress to do that.
On the other hand, if he's smart enough and he realizes that the agreement, if he reads it closely, has a solution to many of the problems that we have
right now, and that by making some kind of arrangement with the opposition to implement the peace agreement, that would be one of his first and most
important policies to execute. I hope that he realizes that. There's many, many people who are advising him to do that, and I myself think that would
be a very good solution.
And in terms of security, the agreement also has a very precise path towards recuperating the areas that now are controlled by the criminal
bands. There is no better alternative. So, I hope that he realizes this also, and that his best security policy is to implement the peace
agreement.
SOARES: Right. What I have been hearing, President Santos, from many Colombians, there's something that Stefano has heard as well on the ground
there, is that they voted for de la Espriella because they feel less safe than they did several years ago. Do you believe the country does need a
tougher security strategy, you know, the one that's been pursued over the last four years? And do you think, critically, that tougher security can
coexist with the peace agreement?
SANTOS: Yes. The country needs an effective and proper security policy. The last two governments have not had a good security policy, and that was the
reason for these criminal bands to increase in power and in control. The security policy is completely compatible with the peace agreement. They
feed each other, and we prove that.
[14:50:00]
At the end of my government, 2017-2018, we had the most peaceful years in recent history. Because we had a security policy, and we started to
implement the peace agreement. So, they are absolutely compatible.
SOARES: President Santos, always wonderful to see you and to have you on the show. Thank you very much. Juan Manuel Santos live for us there in
Bogota, in Colombia.
Well, we want to bring you some news, some pretty sad news. Legendary music producer Clive Davis has passed away at age 94. Davis worked alongside
superstars including Janis Joplin, Whitney Houston and Billy Joel. Davis' family is remembering him as a quote, "towering figure whose influence
changed music forever."
We're going to take a short break. We'll see you on the other side.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Lionel Messi is now the greatest goal scorer in men's World Cup history. His first half marker against Austria gave him a total of 17 goals
across six tournament appearances. Argentina currently clinging to a 1-nil advantage with just minutes left, I understand, in the match. As you can
imagine, fans in Buenos Aires are cheering on the legendary number 10 and their defending World Cup champions.
In a few hours' time, Kylian Mbappe, who is only three goals behind, will try to follow up his two-goal performance when France takes on Iraq and
then later Erling Haaland, coming off his own brace, will lead Norway against Senegal.
Well, one of the world's most incredible stories managed to get even sweeter for the tournament's ultimate underdog and their suddenly famous
keeper. Not only did Cape Verde's magical run take another step forward after a 2-2 draw with Uruguay, but Vozinha's mother, you remember? Vozinha,
well, she was at a Miami stadium on Sunday to watch her son play. And her candidate, Evora, missed Cape Verde's stunning draw with Spain last week.
She was able to travel to the U.S. after finally getting a visa, thanks to an intervention from the U.S. State Department and House Minority Leader,
Hakeem Jeffries.
Up next for Cape Verde and their jubilant fans, Saudi Arabia on Friday in Houston. And they were very jubilant as you said there, quite rightly so.
And despite facing travel restrictions that led their coach to label them the most oppressed team in the whole World Cup.
[14:55:00]
The Iranian players are saying thanks. The team left behind a handwritten letter in the locker room after its draw with Belgium thanking Los Angeles
for his hospitality. The club says they came to L.A. with pride, competed with honor, and were leaving, as you can see there, with dignity. They also
called for peace, as you can see, respect and friendship among all nations. Iran will face Egypt on Friday in Seattle for a chance to advance to the
knockout round.
And finally, tonight, one of the most successful franchises in Hollywood history has hit another hit on its hands, it seems. "Toy Story 5" has
scored the biggest opening weekend of the year in North America with $160 million in ticket sales worldwide. The fifth film in the 30-year-old
franchise made well over $300 million though it had to compete with World Cup games, which may have held it back a bit. "Toy Story 5" is also hit
with critics, scoring an impressive 93 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
Thanks for watching tonight. Do stay right here. I'll be back with "What We Know" after the very short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:00:00]
END
