Trident letters and house move: What awaits Starmer after his General Election win?

ITV News Correspondent John Ray explains what the first days of Starmer's premiership will involve

Words by James Gray, ITV News Producer

Sir Keir Starmer has been elected the UK's prime minister after a resounding defeat of Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives at the General Election

Labour reached the magic number of 326 seats at 4.50am on Friday morning.

With his seat in office secured, Starmer's focus will now turn to the immediate duties awaiting him as prime minister.

But what exactly will Starmer be getting up to within the first days of his leadership? ITV News explains.

Audience with the King

As a result of Labour's win, Rishi Sunak will resign as prime minister and - in line with custom - travel to Buckingham Palace, where he will meet with King Charles III and inform him of his decision.

Starmer will then be invited by the Monarch to the palace and be asked to form a new government.

He will become the second PM that the King has sworn in, after Charles assumed duties from his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in late 2022.

Downing Street speech

Once sworn in, Starmer will return to Downing Street and give his first major address as prime minister.

He is expected to thank the British electorate for voting him into power, and briefly outline his intentions as the UK's new PM.

Starmer will then walk into No 10 Downing Street, where he will be met by the cabinet secretary and his principal private secretary.

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Policy & national security briefings

During his first couple of days in office, Starmer will receive a raft of policy briefings from the civil service.

Included within this will be information on key issues, and decisions that need to be taken on immediate government legislation.

Much of these briefings are likely to focus on material which has already been discussed during access talks - where the opposition hold confidential meetings with the civil service on their plans for government in the run-up to a General Election.

Additionally, the UK's intelligence agencies will provide separate updates to Starmer on threats to national security.

‘Letters of last resort’

One of the first official jobs awaiting Starmer will be for him to write a so-called "letter of last resort".

The note will be sent to each of the UK's commanding officers stationed in its four nuclear submarines, which make up its Trident deterrent.

It will set out clear instructions for what the commanders are to do in the event that the UK is wiped out by a nuclear attack, and will replace the previous letter signed by Sunak.

Onlookers claimed that when former Labour PM Tony Blair wrote his letter of last resort that he went very quiet and pale in his face.

"Nuclear deputies" will also need to be appointed. They will be members of the government and have permission to take decisions involving the UK's nuclear deterrent in the PM's absence.

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Appoint Cabinet

Top of Starmer's priorities after entering No 10 will be to officially appoint his Cabinet.

Much of those listed within the shadow cabinet (e.g. Shadow Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner) will simply transition to their new working government titles, although there are still expected to be some changes.

Starmer will hold individual meetings with each member of his Cabinet at No 10, with newly appointed ministers going on to meet the head of the propriety and ethics team, where they will discuss any possible conflict of interest linked to their role as well as other issues.

All Cabinet appointments should be completed within the first 72 hours of Starmer entering office.

Calls with world leaders

Starmer will take congratulatory calls from world leaders in the first few days of his leadership, and will speak individually with each first minister of the devolved nations that make up the UK.

Move into Downing Street

Starmer, as prime minister, will be able to call No 10 his new official residence, and as such arrange living arrangements for him and his family - his wife, Victoria, and their two children.

These details may have been ironed out during access talks, and his chief of staff is likely to be charged with organising how Starmer's first few days in office will unfold.

Procedural guidance

Unbeknownst to many is that one of the first duties awaiting a new prime minister is issuing their own versions of the Ministerial Code, Special Advisers Code and guidance on propriety and ethics.

This task is expected to be completed within the first 72 hours of Starmer becoming PM, with talks simultaneously taking place over training for new ministers.

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