The Labour Party has secured a landslide victory in the UK general election, gaining hundreds of seats nationwide and ending 14 years of Conservative rule. Sir Keir Starmer is poised to become prime minister later on Friday, marking the conclusion of an era that saw five different Conservative leaders.
Outgoing PM Rishi Sunak conceded around 04:40 in the morning, acknowledging Labour’s win and congratulating Sir Keir. In his victory speech, the Labour leader promised “national renewal” and emphasized putting “country first, party second.” He stated, “We have earned the mandate to relight the fire,” and spoke of renewing the ideas that hold the country together.
This result represents a dramatic turnaround from the 2019 election, where Labour, under Jeremy Corbyn, experienced its worst defeat in almost a century. Former Conservative minister Robert Buckland, who lost his seat, described it as “electoral Armageddon” for the Tories. The Conservative Party is facing its worst result in nearly 200 years, with an internal battle over the party’s future likely to follow.
Britain’s House of Commons, with 650 MPs, has seen Labour win 410 seats, the Conservatives drop to 119, and the Liberal Democrats take 71. Reform UK, a successor to the Brexit Party, is set to secure four seats. Labour’s expected 170-seat majority is substantial, though it falls short of the 179-seat majority achieved by Tony Blair in 1997. For context, the Conservatives’ strong performance in the 2019 election under Boris Johnson saw them gain an 80-seat majority.
Several high-profile Conservatives lost their seats, including former PM Liz Truss, who narrowly lost in South West Norfolk, and Jacob Rees-Mogg, who was defeated in East Somerset and Hanham. Defence Secretary Grant Shapps and Leader of the House Penny Mordaunt also lost their seats. However, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt retained his seat with a reduced majority, and Rishi Sunak won his seat in Yorkshire with a comfortable margin.
British politics moves quickly; within 24 hours, Rishi Sunak will resign to the King, and Sir Keir Starmer will be invited by the monarch to form the next government. Following this, Sir Keir will appoint his new cabinet.
Keir Starmer, relatively new to politics, began his career as a barrister and became the director of public prosecutions in 2008. Elected as an MP in 2015, he took over Labour’s leadership after their poor performance in 2019. Re-elected in his Holborn and St Pancras constituency, Sir Keir stated that people were “ready for change” and promised an end to the “politics of performance.” He emphasized that the change begins now, saying, “This is your democracy, your community, your future. You have voted. It’s now time for us to deliver.”