Keir Starmer resigned: who headed the UK government?

Keir Starmer officially resigned as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on Monday, July 20. Within hours, the king instructed Labour leader Andy Burnham to form a new government.

This was reported by Buckingham Palace and Sky News reports .

“This morning Sir Keir Starmer MP had an audience with the King and tendered his resignation as Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury, which His Majesty has graciously accepted,” the palace said in a statement.

After Starmer’s resignation, the UK was temporarily left without a prime minister. The king later invited Andy Burnham to form a new Cabinet.

Burnham later formally took office as Prime Minister, confirming the start of the new government in a speech at Downing Street.