LONDON (AP) — The Labour Party has won Britain's general election, bringing a new party to power for the first time in 14 years. But Labour leader Keir Starmer won't actually become prime minister until a carefully choreographed ceremony on Friday during which King Charles III will formally ask him to form a new government.
Associated PressFILE - Britain's King Charles III pauses during the State Opening of Parliament at the Palace of Westminster in London on Nov. 7, 2023.
The process is swift, if somewhat brutal for departing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Here's how the ceremonial events will unfold.While Britain is a constitutional monarchy where the king's power is strictly limited by law and tradition, much of what happens here has echoes of the past. In this case, the process harkens back to a time when the king exercised supreme power and chose his preeminent minister — the prime minister — to run his government.
"There's a tiny window where between the exiting prime minister, and officially the appointment of the new one, where technically power resides for those few minutes with the monarch,'' Whitelock said."So there's a brief moment where there's effectively a kind of vacuum in terms of parliamentary democracy. … But, of course, straight away there is that moment where the new prime minister is appointed.
Traditionally, the new prime minister then leaves the palace in a prime ministerial car and returns to Downing Street to make a statement, receiving the applause of staff members as he enters the famous black door of No. 10 and begins the business of government.After suffering a brutal defeat at the polls, Sunak will be forced to vacate the prime minister's official residence before Starmer arrives just a few hours later.
"Everyone will say, 'Well, this is all the ceremonial bit,' but it's a really important part of the fact that governments can change in the U.K., and we don't do riots," said George Gross, a royal expert at King's College London."Maybe that didn't need to be said before, but in the context of the current political world and geopolitics, I think that is really healthy.
Philippines Latest News, Philippines Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
King Charles III's sister Anne released from hospital after horse accidentDefining the News
Read more »
Banknotes bearing portrait of King Charles III start to be rolled out across the UKLONDON — People have been queuing on Wednesday outside the Bank of England's headquarters in London and at post offices around the United Kingdom to get their hands on the first UK banknotes featuring the portrait of King Charles 3rd.
Read more »
UK's King Charles welcomes Japan's Emperor Naruhito for state visitLatest Philippine news from GMA News and 24 Oras. News, weather updates and livestreaming on Philippine politics, regions, showbiz, lifestyle, science and tech.
Read more »
UK animal rights activists target King Charles' portraitLONDON — Protesters on Tuesday covered an official portrait of the United Kingdom's King Charles III with the face of the eccentric, cheese-loving animated character Wallace to campaign for better animal welfare on farms.
Read more »
All eyes are on Kate as she returns to public view at a military parade honoring King Charles IIILONDON (AP) — Britain put on a display of birthday pageantry Saturday for King Charles III, a military parade that marked the Princess of Wales ' first public appearance since her cancer diagnosis early this year.
Read more »
Japanese royals arrive for three-day state visit to UKLONDON, United Kingdom — Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako arrive in Britain on Saturday ahead of a three-day state visit hosted by King Charles III.
Read more »