Keir Starmer was formally appointed as prime minister of the United Kingdom on Friday after his Labour Party won a majority in Thursday’s parliamentary elections. 

For Context: Starmer promised “stability and moderation” in his first speech as PM, saying, “Our country has voted decisively for change, national renewal and a return to the politics of public service.”  He also paid tribute to the “dedication and hard work” of former PM Rishi Sunak.

‘Complex, unknowable, aggrieved’: Politico’s (Lean Left bias) Tanya Gold wrote that Starmer had become “one of the most prominent center-ground leaders in the world,” despite the fact that “Britain barely knows who he is.” This echoed an NBC News (Lean Left bias) profile, which described him as “a vegetarian and a self-described socialist but also a hate figure for many leftists who accuse him of veering rightward in search of power.” 

‘Unlikely to produce any significant change’: While right-rated sites published few opinions or analyses on Starmer — potentially reflecting a lack of interest among right-rated outlets in news outside the U.S. — the Washington Examiner’s (Lean Right bias) Tom Rogan wrote that Starmer “is expected to stay close to the political center ground, at least at the start of his term.” A separate analysis from the Examiner said, “While he is a socialist, the new prime minister has moved to the center on some economic issues and has frustrated some pro-Palestinian factions of his party with his position on the war in Gaza.”