The claim
An image of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer appearing to shake the hand of Southport killer Axel Rudakubana has been widely shared on social media.
Original publisher’s rating
The photograph is fake and appears to have been shared as a joke. The creator has superimposed Rudakubana’s mugshot onto the body of Labour MP Keir Mather in an image showing the MP shaking hands with his party leader. The original photograph is from July 2023.
Reviewed by PA Media ↗ ·
Read the original fact check ↗Sources and attribution
- [original] PA Media original review
Original review · Retrieved October 16, 2026
Original review: PA Media. Structured data compiled by Data Commons under CC BY 4.0. Publisher article content is subject to its own terms.
Updated