When will Keir Starmer appoint his cabinet and when will Parliament resume?

Sir Keir Starmer is officially Britain’s next prime minister after Labour were declared winners of the general election.

Rishi Sunak made a statement on Downing Street at 10.30am, in which he announced his resignation as Prime Minister and that he would step down as party leader.

He then travelled to Buckingham Palace for an audience with the King, to formally tender his resignation. The meeting lasted 20 minutes.

Then, Sir Keir travelled to see the King at the palace. He has been appointed as the country’s next prime minister and asked to form an administration.

Sir Keir was then driven to Downing Street to address the nation for the first time as prime minister.

However, forming a government and opening a new session of Parliament will take longer, with the King’s Speech set for July 17.

When will Starmer appoint a Cabinet?

Despite being in the shadow cabinet during opposition, ministers are not guaranteed a spot in the Prime Minister’s governing Cabinet.

Indeed, while Labour’s governing Cabinet is expected to largely mirror its existing shadow cabinet, sources say Sir Keir’s aides are looking for bigger roles for Ellie Reeves, who was the deputy national campaign coordinator, Jonathan Ashworth, the shadow paymaster general, and Alison McGovern, the shadow employment minister. Some MPs will be disappointed, although cabinet reshuffles may certainly be expected during Sir Keir’s five years in power.

When will the new Parliament begin?

Sir Keir’s Cabinet will be told to get to work immediately, returning to the Commons on July 9 when they will formally elect the Speaker and swear in the members of the House.

They will then sit until July 31, before breaking for a shortened summer recess until Sept 2. Sir Keir’s hopes to cut this summer period short by two weeks were squashed after complaints from his tired MPs.

During this busy time, the monarch will also deliver the King’s Speech before Parliament on July 17 for the formal State Opening of Parliament.

When will Keir Starmer meet other world leaders as Britain’s new Prime Minister?

On July 9, Sir Keir will travel to Washington DC for a summit marking the 75th anniversary of Nato with his foreign secretary (expected to be David Lammy) and defence secretary (likely to be John Healey).

The summit will centre around the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, and Sir Keir is expected to hold a bilateral meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, before a suggested trip to Kyiv. A bilateral meeting with Joe Biden, the US president, has not yet been confirmed.

Just one week later, on July 16, Sir Keir will host a summit of the European Political Community of 47 countries at the birthplace and ancestral home of Winston Churchill, Blenheim Palace.

How does the election of the Speaker work?

Upon the House’s return, members of the Commons are escorted to the House of Lords by the “Father of the House”, where the monarch requests they elect a Speaker. Black Rod, the King’s representative in the House of Lords, is sent to summon MPs to the Lords Chamber, knocking on the Commons door three times.

An MP will propose a motion to reinstate Lindsay Hoyle as Speaker. This motion is voted on immediately without debate, and, if passed, the Speaker is re-elected.

Again, Black Rod is sent to summon the Speaker-elect and MPs to the House of Lords, where the commissioners notify the Speaker-elect of the King’s approval.

How are MPs and peers sworn in?

Members of the House of Commons and Lords must both take an oath of allegiance to the Crown or make a solemn affirmation. This occurs over two or three days before the State Opening of Parliament after the speaker has been elected.

MPs take the oath in order of seniority, beginning with the Speaker, followed by the Father of the House (longest serving male MP), senior Cabinet MPs and then all others. Peers follow a similar process in the House of Lords.