Keir Starmer officially departed Downing Street on Monday, saying he was leaving office with "good grace" and a smile as he brought his two-year tenure as the United Kingdom's prime minister to an end.

In his farewell speech outside Number 10 before heading to Buckingham Palace to formally submit his resignation to King Charles III, Starmer maintained that his government had made Britain a stronger and fairer nation.

"Britain is now stronger and fairer than it was two years ago," the outgoing prime minister said.

"I go with good grace, I go with a smile," he added while reflecting on his time in office.

Starmer was accompanied by his wife, Victoria, as they left Downing Street, paving the way for his successor, Andy Burnham.

The Labour leader won a landslide general election victory in July 2024, ending 14 years of Conservative rule. However, after months of mounting political pressure, policy reversals and falling public approval, he announced his decision to step down in late June.

Burnham has since been formally appointed prime minister by King Charles III and is expected to announce his Cabinet in the coming days.

The former Greater Manchester mayor assumes office amid major economic and political challenges, including slow economic growth, rising borrowing costs, increasing welfare spending and persistent concerns over irregular migration.

He has pledged to prioritise measures aimed at reducing the cost-of-living burden, rebuilding public confidence in government and transferring greater powers from Westminster to regional authorities.

Before officially taking office, Burnham signalled a break from his predecessor by scrapping Starmer's proposed nationwide digital identification programme.

The new prime minister also said his administration would pursue an economic strategy centred on early investment and intervention, arguing that preventing problems before they escalate is more effective than spending heavily to address them later.