On the eve of the tenth anniversary of Brexit, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that he would step down as Britain’s prime minister. Initially, people thought that Starmer wouldn’t end up leaving Downing Street until August or September, but Labour did something and now Starmer is officially gone as PM. He made his farewell address earlier today, with his staff and his wife behind him, and then he was gone. Well, no, not really – after his farewell address, Starmer had to go to Buckingham Palace to formally resign. Just minutes after Starmer left the palace, Andy Burnham turned up to kiss the king’s sausage fingers.
The man dubbed the “King of the North” became the new British prime minister Monday, the latest in a revolving door of leaders trying to halt a decade of political turbulence and economic stagnation in the United Kingdom. Burnham, 56, was appointed unchallenged after the unpopular Keir Starmer agreed to step down last month following a series of election defeats, U-turns and scandals.
Both Starmer and Burnham come from the same center-left Labour Party, and in the United Kingdom ruling parties can change leaders — and therefore the prime minister — in the middle of an election cycle without anyone voting. That said, Burnham has promised radical change after taking office following a morning of royal formality, though he already faces infighting over his Cabinet selections.
Making his first speech as prime minister outside No.10 Downing St., Burnham vowed a “circuit breaker for Britain” that would involve “the biggest changes of the past 40 years.” In keeping with the more casual style he’s sought to project, Burnham eschewed the lectern favored by his predecessors, instead speaking while standing freely in the famous street. “I know people are fed up with politics — I hear you,” he said, promising to “bring back hope” to the country.
The incoming leader has a heaving inbox: how to solve Britain’s cost-of-living crisis, revive its ailing National Health Service, and navigate bitter debates over immigration and Europe. He must also fend off the challenge from Reform UK, the hard-right party led by Donald Trump ally Nigel Farage, which tops the polls.
Monday started with the pageantry of a now familiar political handover (Burnham being Britain’s seventh prime minister in a little more than a decade and the fifth in four years).
He had already replaced Starmer as Labour leader. Then, early Monday, Starmer declared “my work is done” as he delivered a farewell speech outside his official residence at No. 10 Downing St. Starmer was then driven to Buckingham Palace, where he offered his resignation to King Charles III. After he left, Burnham arrived at the palace, and the king asked him to form a government. This ceremony is known as “kissing hands,” though new leaders aren’t actually expected to do that these days.
Once the new PM is inside the palace, the king’s team handles the imagery and which photos or videos are released. QEII and King Charles never released any photos or videos of a prime minister kneeling and kissing the sovereign’s hand, but I guarantee that the hand-kiss still happens. For all of Charles’ four prime ministers, he tends to release photos where he’s just greeting them a handshake. With Liz Truss, the palace released a video of him saying “oh dear” to her when they first met. It was funny. Anyway, I hope Burnham is a good prime minister and I hope the British press doesn’t rip him to shreds.
His Majesty received in Audience the Rt. Hon. Andrew Burnham MP and requested him to form a new Administration. The Rt. Hon Andrew Burnham MP accepted The King’s offer and kissed hands upon his appointment as Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury. pic.twitter.com/QGXjt80Tbq
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) July 20, 2026
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
