At 10 Downing Street, UK’s Keir Starmer has a large in-tray of problems

Keir Starmer enters power with one of the longest lists of problems ever to face an incoming prime minister and few resources to deal with them – a situation that could curtail any “honeymoon period” offered by the British people.

It is a situation not lost on the 61-year-old Labour leader and former lawyer, who spent much of the election campaign listening to voters’ concerns about healthcare, education, and the cost of living, but promising only to try to make the lives of British voters a little better – over time.

“I’m not going to stand here and say there’s some magic wand that I can wave the day after the election and find money that isn’t there,” he said in a head-to-head debate with his predecessor Rishi Sunak before the election. “Huge damage has been done to our economy. It is going to take time.”

It is not an easy sell. Despite being on course for a massive majority in the parliamentary election, many voters are disenchanted with politicians after years of what became an increasingly chaotic and scandal-ridden Conservative government and what was an often divided Labour opposition, dogged antisemitism accusations.

Hailing his party’s victory at a speech to supporters, Starmer said on Friday: “We did it. Change begins now, and it feels good. I have to be honest”.