Keir Starmer is officially the new UK prime minister

Labour leader Keir Starmer officially became prime minister of the United Kingdom on Friday. Starmer received the blessing of King Charles III to f...

Labour leader Keir Starmer officially became prime minister of the United Kingdom on Friday.

Starmer received the blessing of King Charles III to form a government in a ceremony known as the "kissing of hands.” A photo of the occasion served as the official announcement of Starmer’s new title.

Earlier on Friday, Rishi Sunak offered his resignation as prime minister to the king.

Voters in the UK cast their ballots on Thursday in a national election to choose the 650 lawmakers who will sit in Parliament for the next five years.

After more than a decade in power under five different prime ministers, Sunak’s Conservatives suffered a major defeat.