Britain’s head of state, King Charles III, officially appointed Labour leader, Keir Starmer as prime minister during an audience at Buckingham Palace.
A statement on Friday, July 5, accompanied by a photograph released by the palace, showed the monarch shaking hands with Starmer, whose party won a landslide election victory.
The king earlier accepted the resignation of conservative leader, Rishi Sunak.
“The King received in audience The Right Honourable Sir Keir Starmer MP today and requested him to form a new Administration.
“Sir Keir accepted His Majesty’s offer and kissed hands upon his appointment as Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury”, a palace statement read.
Keir Starmer became Britain’s new prime minister as his center-left opposition Labour Party swept to a landslide general election victory. It ends 14 years of right-wing Conservative rule.
Meanwhile,Angela Rayner, 44, has been appointed Deputy Prime Minister and will also serve as the Minister for Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities.
This was Starmer’s first cabinet confirmation, with Downing Street making the announcement shortly after his assumption of office.
In a historic move, Rachel Reeves has been named the Chancellor of the Exchequer, making her the first woman in the UK to hold this critical finance minister position.
The full list of Starmer’s initial cabinet appointments includes:
Angela Rayner – Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities
Rachel Reeves – Chancellor of the Exchequer
David Lammy – Foreign Secretary
Yvette Cooper – Home Secretary
John Healey – Defence Secretary
Pat McFadden – Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Ed Miliband – Energy Secretary
Bridget Phillipson – Education Secretary
Wes Streeting – Health Secretary
Shabana Mahmood – Justice Secretary