Our political sketch writer John Crace has dubbed it the “podium of doom”. Just before a British prime minister steps out of 10 Downing Street to announce their resignation, a lone lectern takes centre stage and casts an ominous shadow across the ground. This week’s resignation of Keir Starmer was the seventh such lectern moment in a decade.
The first and longest of these shadows was cast 10 years ago this week, when David Cameron resigned after the UK voted to leave the EU. Before then, departing prime ministers mostly made do with a basic mic stand. Before then, prime ministers generally didn’t depart after mere months in the job.
