Keir Starmer Resignation Speech Drowned Out by Anti-Brexit Protester Blasting EU Anthem Outside Downing Street

A chaotic scene unfolded outside Downing Street this morning as notorious anti-Brexit campaigner Steve Bray drowned out Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s resignation speech with booming music, sparking fresh demands for officials to finally "unplug his amplifier".

Standing at the podium outside No 10, Sir Keir sought to highlight his political achievements while announcing his departure. He acknowledged that his leadership had reached its end, stating: 'I know the question being asked now is not who is best placed to change the Labour Party... the question my party is asking now is whether I am best placed to lead us into the next.'

However, many spectators struggled to hear the Prime Minister's heartfelt address over the sheer volume of the disruption. Nearby, Bray blasted Ode to Joy, the official anthem of the European Union composed by Ludwig van Beethoven, in a deliberate display of "defiance" against Brexit.

A Familiar Westminster Disruption

This morning's incident is the latest in a string of high-profile stunts by the perennial Westminster activist. Bray famously targeted Rishi Sunak in May 2024, using a megaphone to blare New Labour’s iconic 1997 campaign theme, Things Can Only Get Better by D:Ream, during Sunak’s rainy snap election announcement.

That 2024 disruption could be clearly heard over the Prime Minister's voice on live news bulletins. While the music eventually stopped during Sunak's speech, it was later revealed that rainwater had damaged the equipment rather than the police intervening. Following that stunt, Bray, who previously ran as an unsuccessful candidate for the Liberal Democrats in 2019, mocked the situation on social media, writing: 'We had a good run at Downing Street but both amplifiers got soaked and blown.'

He later claimed that law enforcement took action, adding: ‘Police just served an order on me and banned me from every street around Whitehall and Parliament. Apparently two people complained. Probably Rishi Sunak and his wife.’

Despite ongoing friction with members of Parliament and the police, Bray has consistently blasted music at volumes reaching up to 90 decibels for years. He even tried to disrupt Boris Johnson's farewell address outside Downing Street in 2022 by playing the Benny Hill theme song. While authorities took action against him last year for an alleged breach of a police ban, a judge ultimately cleared Bray of wrongdoing, remarking that one of the individuals complaining about the protests 'lacked a certain robustness'.

What Lies Ahead for the Labour Party

Inside the Downing Street gates, close colleagues gathered on the pavement to watch the Prime Minister deliver his final remarks. Sir Keir grew visibly emotional as he thanked his family for their unwavering support, noting that he would now focus on being the 'best husband' and the 'best dad'.

The Prime Minister had returned to Downing Street from Chequers early this morning following a weekend of intense deliberations with his wife, Victoria, and key political aides. Before stepping up to the microphone, he held a phone consultation with the King, who is currently staying at his Highgrove residence.

Sir Keir promised an 'orderly' transition of power to select his successor. If only one candidate emerges, widely tipped to be Andy Burnham, the new Prime Minister could be in place before the House of Commons goes into its summer recess on July 16. If a wider leadership contest takes place, the process could extend into August.

Mr Burnham, who recently secured massive support from Labour MPs after winning the Makerfield by-election last week, is scheduled to be sworn in at the House of Commons at 2.30pm today. As the political dust settles in Westminster, the morning's events left one commentator to dryly observe: 'Prime Ministers come, Prime Ministers go, but Steve Bray's jukebox remains.'

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