Keir Starmer has become Britain’s new prime minister after the Labour Party won a huge majority in the UK general election.
The left-wing party has taken more than 400 seats in the House of Commons, similar to the landslide Tony Blair achieved in 1997, while the Conservatives have lost about 250 seats and now have just over 120.
Labour now has more seats than Margaret Thatcher, Winston Churchill or Clement Attlee won in their historic election victories, despite Starmer’s party winning only about 34 per cent of the vote.
The Labour Party also won several million fewer votes than Boris Johnson’s Conservatives in 2019, but thanks to the quirks of the first-past-the-post system it claimed considerably more MPs. Turnout was historically low, with only about 60 per cent of eligible voters casting a ballot.
“The work of change begins immediately,” Starmer said outside Downing Street this morning after he’d visited the King to formally accept the position of prime minister.
He pledged to “rebuild” the UK’s infrastructure, including homes and schools.
His predecessor, Rishi Sunak, also spoke outside Downing Street this morning, saying simply: “I’m sorry.”
“I have heard your anger, your disappointment, and I take responsibility for this loss,” he added. He said he will step down as leader of the Conservative Party.
Several cabinet ministers, including the defence secretary, lost their seats in the Tory wipeout. Former PM Liz Truss – who was famously outlasted in office by a lettuce – also lost her seat.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, meanwhile, was very quick to congratulate the Labour Party on its victory, doing so long before it was confirmed.
“Lots of work ahead to build a more progressive, fair future for people on both sides of the Atlantic,” he posted on X.
“Let’s get to it, my friend.”
Starmer is a former lawyer and public prosecutor who was elected to Parliament in 2015. He represents a riding in North London.
