Britain's newly appointed Prime Minister Andy Burnham delivers a speech outside 10 Downing Street after taking office, in London, Britain, July 20, 2026. [Photo/Agencies]
By the time I arrived at Downing Street on Monday morning, the narrow street was already packed with journalists, photographers and broadcasters awaiting the transfer of power from Keir Starmer to Andy Burnham, the United Kingdom's seventh prime minister in a decade.
I had arrived three hours before Burnham's scheduled speech, but I was too late. A security guard told me every media position had been allocated last week. We were not getting in.
Xing Yi
Outside the gates, the crowd continued to swell. Journalists without accreditation lingered in hope, protesters unfurled banners, and passersby paused for a glimpse of the new prime minister.
