YSK how to talk about the PM of the UK. - eviltoast

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!

  • T156@lemmy.worldEnglish
    4·
    4 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.