London, July 20 (IANS) British Prime Minister Keir Starmer tendered his resignation to King Charles III at Buckingham Palace on Monday after delivering a farewell speech outside 10 Downing Street.
In his speech, Starmer said Britain was now “stronger and fairer,” urged the country not to “succumb to that division,” and wished Andy Burnham, who is set to be his successor, “every success,” saying he had his “full support.”
Starmer led the Labour Party to victory in the July 2024 general election, ending 14 years of Conservative rule, and formally took office as prime minister on July 5 that year, Xinhua News Agency reported.
Starmer announced on June 22 that he would resign as Labour leader and step down as prime minister once a successor had been chosen.
Newly elected Labour leader Burnham will travel to Buckingham Palace, where the king is expected to invite him to form a government. Burnham will then formally take office as prime minister.
On Friday, Britain’s Labour Party announced that Andy Burnham has been confirmed as its leader.
Burnham, former Mayor of Greater Manchester, is expected to be appointed prime minister on Monday after Keir Starmer formally steps down, in accordance with established procedure.
Speaking at the Trades Union Congress headquarters in central London, British Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, who also chairs Labour’s National Executive Committee, said Burnham had received nominations from 379 Labour lawmakers. As the only candidate to reach the required threshold, he was declared leader without a ballot of party members.
Burnham returned to parliament after winning the Makerfield by-election, whose result was declared on June 19. Starmer announced his resignation as Labour leader on June 22, saying he would remain Prime Minister until his successor was chosen
In his speech, Burnham recalled working with Keir Starmer about a decade ago to draft the original version of the Hillsborough law following the second Hillsborough inquest, drawing on Starmer’s legal expertise.
Burnham said Britain had taken a series of wrong turns since the 1980s, as political power became increasingly centralised while essential services such as housing, water, energy and transport were privatised.
–IANS
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