I’m seeing a lot of international messages getting this wrong, so this is how you refer to the Prime Minister of the UK.

First, we normally refer to the PM just by name, like anyone else. So, “Keir Starmer” or “Mr Starmer”.

“Prime Minister” is not used as a title like “President” is. He’s not “Prime Minister Starmer”. He’s just “the Prime Minister” or “the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer”.

Unusually, this new PM is also a knight. Of course, this has its own rules.

If you want to use this title, it’s not quite as simple as replacing “Mr” with "Sir’. The first name is more important than the surname here. He’s not “Sir Starmer”. He’s “Sir Keir Starmer” or “Sir Keir”.

Hope it helps!

  • Victor
    9•5 months ago

    I’m not too familiar with knighthood. How did he become knighted?

    • @[email protected]
      19•5 months ago

      He did a fairly good job as the head of criminal prosecutions in the UK for around 5 years, and he was knighted to recognise that when he stepped down

      • Victor
        2•5 months ago

        That’s… it? You can get knighted for being “fairly good” at your job for half a decade, and then quitting?

        Heck, I’m “fairly good” as a software developer. I’m pretty darn good actually, and have been working for more than half a decade, and I don’t intend to quit. Where do I queue for one of them knightings? 😅🗡️

        • @[email protected]English
          4•5 months ago

          That’s… it? You can get knighted for being “fairly good” at your job for half a decade, and then quitting?

          Yes. Knighthood is generally up to the whims of the monarch. Although to make it there, it’s generally expected you have an achievement significant enough to be befitting of one.

          But from what I recall, there’s little stopping his majesty from conferring a knighthood onto Chief Mouser Larry for his research into the napping suitability of 10 Downing Street’s furniture, if he wanted to do that.

        • @[email protected]
          3•5 months ago

          And how many millions of people are fairly good at being a software developer?

          I think “fairly good” was an understatement on my part… Tim Berners-Lee got a knighthood for being “fairly good” as a software developer, as he invented the worldwide web. Kier Starmer got a knighthood for being “fairly good” as a public procecutor for handling a number of cases of national importance extremely well. What have you done that has significantly changed the country for the better?

          You’ve got to consider the difficulty/seniority of the job, a general doing a “fairly good” job is more likely to get a medal than a private doing a “fairly good” job who’ll get fuck all

          • Victor
            3•5 months ago

            Sorry if it isn’t obvious – I’m facetiously joking in all of these comments. 😇 Just playing on the “fairly good” phrasing and memeing on it. 😉