LONDON, July 5. /TASS/. Labour Party leader Keir Starmer formally took office as UK prime minister and received a mandate from King Charles III to form a cabinet, according to a video of the king’s audience released by Buckingham Palace.

Starmer, 61, will now go to his Downing Street residence and address the nation as prime minister. He is the third UK prime minister during the reign of Charles III who took the throne less than two years ago. Starmer's predecessor as prime minister, Rishi Sunak, led the cabinet from October 25, 2022 until this Friday.

Starmer took over as head of cabinet following the parliamentary elections held on July 4. According to preliminary data, the Labor Party under his leadership secured itself at least 412 seats in the 650-seat House of Commons, gaining the majority required to form a new cabinet. The Conservative Party, which had ruled since 2010, currently has just 121 seats. Counting of ballots continues in two more constituencies.

Starmer is the 58th prime minister in UK history. During the day he will announce the new makeup of the UK cabinet.