BUNKERING DOWN Inside Keir Starmer’s first 48 hours at No10 and why visit to underground bunker will be one of his first stops
KEIR STARMER has become Britain's new Prime Minister, vowing that "change begins now" after Brits voted for Labour in their droves.
But while Sir Keir said the UK was again experiencing the "sunlight of hope" in his jubilant victory speech, the party leader now faces an intense first day in the job.
Conservative leader leader Rishi Sunak conceded defeat, with Sir Keir reportedly getting a telephone call shortly before 4am when he was in a car with his wife Vic, on the way to Labour's victory rally.
In Tate Modern's iconic turbine hall, Sir Keir said the country could now "get its future back".
Change has certainly come for Sir Keir, who will now face an incredibly daunting first day as Britain's head of government.
He will have to quickly get up to speed with critical aspects of running the country - with life-or-death decisions now in his hands.After an historic election night:
- Keir Starmer has become Britain's next Prime Minister after Labour got 412 seats amid a brutal Tory wipeout.
- He promised to lead a Labour party grounded in “public service” in his first speech as PM in front of a jubilant crowd at No 10.
- Sir Keir will now appoint his cabinet as he cracks on with his plan for change.
- Rishi Sunak admitted defeat earlier on the steps of Downing Street and apologised to the nation for his party’s failures.
- Tory big beasts including former PM Liz Truss and ex-Defence Secretary Grant Shapps have lost seats after a nightmare night for Conservatives.
- He was followed by Leader of the House Penny Mordaunt, one of eight Cabinet ministers have lost their seats
- Nigel Farage’s Reform party claimed an unprecedented four seats as they grabbed votes from the Tories.
- Tory defector Lee Anderson claimed the first Reform seat, followed by Farage, Richard Tice, and Rupert Lowe.
- Sir Keir's predecessor Jeremy Corbyn, now standing as an independent, also held onto Islington North
- All eyes are now on our new PM with Piers Morgan telling our Never Mind The Ballots election show that Sir Keir MUST deliver real change after the Tory disaster
The nuclear issue
Perhaps the most impactful decision the new PM will have to make is writing letters of last resort, after meeting with the Chief of the Defence Staff.
These letters, which must be handwritten, will contain instructions for Britain's nuclear-armed submarines in the event the country has been attacked with nuclear weapons and the PM is incapacitatedSir Keir will also be told how much damage a Trident nuclear missile can do, and what his options are in case of armageddon.
These will include retaliating, not retaliating, letting commanders use their own judgement or putting themselves under the command of the United States, presuming it is still standing.
Those written by previous PMs will be destroyed without being opened.
Sticking to the nuclear theme, the new Prime Minister will also be taken down to the underground nuclear bunker, where top brass will shelter in the event of a nuclear attack.Sir Keir will be guided through a series of corridors to the safehouse, located underneath another government building, to check out the space where he will hopefully never have to step foot again.
The bunker is kitted out with communications facilities where Sir Keir can address the nation via broadcast in the event of a nuclear attack.
It is also stocked with food supplies and furniture, including beds.
A former staffer for Theresa May claimed that when they were shown the bunker, they were told that Cherie Blair demanded the furniture in the PM's quarters be changed, The Telegraph reports.
Politics never stops
Sir Keir may be the man of the moment, but it's not just him who'll be celebrating the win.
He is expected to appoint his whole Cabinet today, Labour's national campaign chief has said.
Typically the most important positions - including Defence Secretary, Foreign Secretary and Chancellor - are filled as a priority, with more junior positions being appointed in the coming days.
Labour's National Campaign Coordinator Pat McFadden told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Keir Starmer will get on with appointing his Cabinet, which we expect to be done by the end of today.
"Certainly the whole Cabinet. That Cabinet will meet tomorrow. And he will have to quickly allocate those responsibilities, give his new Cabinet their marching orders and then there's big international events coming.
"We have a Nato summit next week. That will be his first moment on the international stage. And while he's doing that, he will want his new Cabinet to get on with it pretty quickly."
He said high on Sir Keir's agenda will be the six first steps Labour has set out: delivering economic stability, cutting NHS waiting times, launching a new border security command, setting up Great British Energy, cracking down on anti-social behaviour, and recruiting 6,500 new teachers.
"Setting up new bodies is a faster thing than sometimes the recruitment of more police officers - that might take a little longer," Mr McFadden added.
Hope you like phone calls
From the moment he enters Downing Street, Sir Keir can expect to be barraged with calls from world leaders congratulating him.
Typically the US is one of the first nations to call, meaning Sir Keir can expect a call from Joe Biden very soon.
Other allied nations will also likely be the first to congratulate the incoming PM, with the calls continuing to come in over a number of days, in part due to the world's different time zones.
Family and friends of the Prime MInister will also be calling the Number 10 switchboard.
Staff must decide which of them to let through, so Sir Keir's old schoolyard chums chancing their arm at speaking to the new PM might be disappointed - it could be Vladimir Putin on the other line after all.
French President Emmanuel Macron has already congratulated Sir Keir and said he was "pleased with our first discussion".
"We will continue the work begun with the UK for our bilateral co-operation, for peace and security in Europe, for the climate and for AI," the French leader said.
Moving day is tough for anyone
Sir Keir and his wife Victoria will be briefed on the Downing Street living arrangements, and will decide whether to use No10 or the larger space above No11.
Arrangements for parking and children's living spaces will be discussed, but these matters will likely have already been addressed during Sir Keir's stint as Leader of the Opposition.
The incoming PM will also have to decide where they want their office, and where their important staffers will be located.
Decisions about who will attend certain meetings - and when they will take place - will also need to be made.
You've sorted the Cabinet... now for the wardrobe!
The issue of clothing plays a surprisingly important part in the new PM's first day on the job.
Tony and Cherie Blair were told that they would likely be spending more money on clothes than they had as private citizens - and this cannot be expensed.
The new Prime Minister will also be told of an important bit of kit to keep handy at all times - a black suit and tie, in case the King dies on Sir Keir's watch.
And the drinks cabinet to boot
Sir Keir will be told of a very important distinction concerning alcoholic drinks, and where they are consumed.Those which are taken in the prime minister's study are charged to the taxpayer.
But those which are drunk in the flat are not.
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