'My work is done,' says Starmer as he hands over power baton to Andy Burnham

Keir Starmer officially stepped down as the United Kingdom's prime minister on Monday, bringing his tenure to an end with an emotional farewell outside 10 Downing Street before handing over power to Andy Burnham, who is set to become Britain's new prime minister after being invited by King Charles III to form a government.

In his final address, Starmer declared, "My work is done," while defending his government's record and saying he was leaving office with pride despite being forced to resign by his own Labour Party.

Starmer bids farewell after resignation

Standing outside 10 Downing Street, Starmer said Britain was "stronger and fairer than it was two years ago" when he first took office.

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The outgoing prime minister thanked the country and reflected on his time in office, saying he was leaving with no regrets.

"I go with good grace, I go with a smile and I go proud of everything that we have achieved," Starmer said before departing for Buckingham Palace to formally tender his resignation.

Buckingham Palace later confirmed that King Charles III had accepted Starmer's resignation.

Andy Burnham set to become Britain's new prime minister

Following Starmer's departure, Andy Burnham will travel to Buckingham Palace, where King Charles III will formally invite him to form a government, officially making him Britain's new prime minister.

Burnham, who was elected Labour Party leader unopposed on Friday, succeeds Starmer after weeks of anticipation over the leadership transition. His appointment makes him Britain's seventh prime minister since 2016, reflecting a decade of political instability.

King Charles to formally appoint Burnham

The constitutional ceremony, traditionally known as "kissing hands," formally marks the transfer of power, although no actual hand-kissing takes place. Under Britain's constitutional system, the monarch appoints the leader who can command a majority in the House of Commons.

After meeting the King, Burnham will head to 10 Downing Street, where he will deliver his first speech as prime minister.

Burnham promises stability after years of political upheaval

According to his office, Burnham will acknowledge the country's repeated leadership changes over the past decade and pledge to restore political stability.

Britain's parliamentary system allows the governing party to replace its leader—and therefore the prime minister—without holding a general election. The next nationwide election is due by 2029, although Burnham has the authority to call one earlier.

Burnham secured the Labour leadership unopposed, receiving nominations from 379 of the party's 403 MPs in the House of Commons.

New Labour leader vows a fresh approach

The former mayor of Greater Manchester has pledged to make politics "less toxic," improve living standards and restore public confidence in government.

"I will work to build a new politics. The country is crying out for it," Burnham said after winning the Labour leadership.

Political observers, however, say attention will quickly shift from rhetoric to delivery, particularly on the economy.

Joshi Herrmann, founder of Manchester-based news outlet The Mill, said Burnham's success would ultimately depend on generating stronger economic growth, arguing that weak growth remains Britain's biggest challenge.

Cabinet reshuffle expected

Burnham is expected to reshuffle Starmer's Cabinet, with senior posts including Chancellor, Foreign Secretary and Home Secretary likely to see changes.

Despite preparing to lead a new administration, Burnham praised Starmer after becoming Labour leader, saying he intended to "build on the foundation laid" by his predecessor.

Starmer defends his legacy

Starmer became Labour leader in 2020 following the party's heavy election defeat in 2019 and led it to a landslide general election victory in 2024.

During his final Prime Minister's Questions in Parliament, he defended his government's record, highlighting Britain's support for Ukraine, stronger protections for workers, measures to reduce child poverty, legislation aimed at preventing official cover-ups after public tragedies, and increased defence spending.

Reflecting on his political journey, Starmer said he had transformed Labour into an election-winning party before serving as prime minister.

"In six and a half years, I took our party from a historic defeat in 2019, changed it so it was fit to face the country and won a landslide general election victory in 2024," he said.

Calling it "the privilege of my life" to serve as prime minister, Starmer said he remained confident that Britain was "stronger and fairer" than when he first entered office.