Yesterday marked yet another chapter in the UK’s chequered political story, with Labour’s Keir Starmer handing over the reins to Andy Burnham. It may not be every day that the country gets a new prime minister, but it sure has happened with terrifying frequency over the past 10 years; Burnham is our seventh leader in a decade.
As the former Mayor of Manchester made it clear that his premiership will be a whole different ball game to his predecessor’s – less talk, more action – the eyes and ears of the world were upon these two men, with plenty of attention focused on their words.
But what of their sartorial choices? Did Burnham’s wife’s fashion mark her out as a fitting first lady? Were Lady Vic’s stilettos revealing how she really felt about leaving Number 10? And what did King Charles’s suit secretly communicate about this next government shake-up?
Here are five key style points from the Starmer-Burnham handover you might have missed that could just give us a hint of what’s to come.
Marie-France’s Beckham meets Scandi royalty chic
Marie-France van Heel, Andy Burnham’s undeniably cool Dutch-born and Belgium-raised wife, went surprisingly regal for her first day as the first lady of British politics. Specifically, Scandi regal. No literal dressing in ‘Labour red’ for Marie-France. Oh no. Clad in a simple but super elegant £850 Victoria Beckham midi dress in ice blue, featuring a V-neck, draped sleeves and A-line skirt, van Heel looked for all the world like the kind of minor member of the Swedish royal family that would be found gracing the pages of Hello! magazine on a slow news week. Especially once she’d teamed it with nude kitten heels and her signature platinum blonde hair scooped back into a sleek chignon. Is it any wonder she was once described by a fellow Cambridge student as “the coolest girl in college”? And is it also a nod from the Burnhams to the blue shires as much as the red wall?
Andy’s insane cuffs
Burnham certainly sounded statesmanlike as he gave his inaugural speech in front of No 10, speaking with authority and much-needed gravitas as he acknowledged that now was a moment for “reflection and resolution” after so much change and turmoil.
“Britain needs to show the world that we can regain our stability once again. That is our challenge, to make politics work, to make it work better,” came his stirring words. What a shame, then, that the length of his sleeves didn’t work better. Why, oh why, were so much of the man’s dazzlingly white cuffs on display? It was very much giving “My first suit” energy, rather than “assured leader who knows a hastily purchased last-minute Moss Bros might not quite cut it for such an auspicious occasion”.
Lady Starmer’s white stilettos
The outgoing PM’s wife, Victoria, is no stranger to a stylish ensemble, and yesterday was no exception. The former solicitor played the dutiful and supportive wife wrapped in a long, navy shirt dress.
But one key difference was her choice of footwear – Lady Starmer is usually a flats gal, a master of the “smart casual” aesthetic with a modern twist. In 2024, she notably wore a very similar shirt dress in poppy-red, refreshingly paired with crisp, white trainers to wear to the polling station (the same trainers she wore in a British Vogue interview earlier that year).
Yesterday, she opted to put comfort aside and teeter along the cobbles of Downing Street in white heels instead. Perhaps sending a message that she’s taking the “high” ground? Or that her husband’s resignation isn’t a fall from grace? Or that she will walk out of No 10 with her head, quite literally, held high?
Or maybe I’m overthinking things and she simply thought they complimented her outfit. We’ll never know for sure.
Charles the Silver Statesman
Pity poor King Charles. Since he began his tenure as royal head honcho in September 2022, he has presided over four – yes four – PM changes in as many years. Perhaps wondering just how many more leaders he’ll have to shake hands with in his lifetime (and becoming increasingly cynical about how long each one will last), he met with the incoming incumbent dressed in a pale grey suit, calling to mind a modern interpretation of a world-weary, seen-it-all-before Gandalf the Grey. All that’s missing is his wizard’s staff.
Make it Labour, but make it casual
Lined up in front of No 10 while Burnham gave his rousing first words as the UK’s new prime minister, his team looked raring for a new chapter. The women in particular looked ready to be noticed in this next political era – bold colour-blocking choices, bright accessories and jazzy prints abounded across the female contingent, from grass green jackets and pink, floor-length dresses to head-to-toe florals and scarlet handbags. Take note: it looks like this batch of Labour women aren’t prepared to be political wallflowers.
The men, however, couldn’t resist their boss’s signature style of laid back T-shirt twinned with a suit jacket, or trainers and smart trousers. Make it Labour, but make it casual. This was a big goodbye to the last two years of buttoned up Starmer; the message here was clearly, “chill out Britain, we know what we’re doing”.
Time will tell.
