Social media image showing ‘Muslims paying tribute to Keir Starmer’ is not real

An image has been shared on social media with the caption: “Muslims pay tribute to Keir Starmer outside Number 10,” but this is not a genuine photo. 

The image supposedly shows rows of people on prayer mats outside Number 10 Downing Street with the suggestion this is related to Sir Keir Starmer being elected as the UK Prime Minister following the election on 4 July. 

The image was shared both before and after the general election took place.

However, there are multiple visual clues that suggest the image is inauthentic, and most likely created using artificial intelligence (AI). 

To start, two figures in the front row are warped so that feet appear instead of heads, while the hands of other figures—although they’re in the right place—are misshapen and without any details or texture, such as fingers.  

The image also shows a red-brick property next door to Number 10. But images from Google Street View show that the neighbouring properties are all the same colour brick as Number 10, and there’s only one window separating the neighbouring door on one side, while there’s no door on the other side, contrary to what the social media image shows. 

Another clue is that the house numbers on the neighbouring doors do not appear to be genuine numbers—AI often struggles to correctly generate letters and numbers.

Moreover, Full Fact could find no evidence of there being any such event outside Number 10.

Journalist David Atherton, who shared the image on X (formerly Twitter), told Full Fact that he felt it was clearly fake and had been shared as satire.

We’ve contacted Number 10 for comment, and will update this article if we receive a response. 

You can read our guide to AI-generated images and videos for more information on how to spot artificially generated content.