UK Election 2024: Labour Party Secures Landslide Victory

• “We did it and it feels good!” – Starmer
• It’s crushing blow for Tories as senior Conservatives lose seats

Leader of the opposition Labour party, Keir Starmer, will take over from Rishi Sunak as United Kingdom (UK) Prime Minister with the most emphatic election victory by any British political party this century.

Individual constituency results overnight signalled Labour comfortably winning an overall majority on a modestly increased share of the vote.

With this landslide victory, the left-of-centre party is returning to government for the first time since 2010.

As it turned out, predictions were that Labour would win 408 seats out of 650, well ahead of the 326 required for a majority, with some seats falling to the party on swings of over 20 percentage points from the Conservatives, including both Tamworth and Lichfield in the Midlands.

In his victory speech, Keir Starmer, the incoming Prime Minister, told a rally; “We did it! You campaigned for it, you fought for it, you voted for it, and now it has arrived. Change begins now. And it feels good, I have to be honest.

“Four and a half years of work, changing the party. This is what it is for. A changed Labour party, ready to serve our country, ready to restore Britain to the service of working people.”

Promising an “age of national renewal” in which Labour would “start to rebuild our country”, he also acknowledged that change would not be easy.

For the Labour leader, the “sunlight of hope was … shining once again in a country with an opportunity after 14 years to get its future back”.

In a surprise move, outgoing Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak used his speech during his constituency count earlier to reveal that he had called Starmer to concede.

Admitting that Labour had won, Sunak said power would “change hands in a peaceful and orderly manner, with goodwill on all sides.

“That is something that should give us all confidence in our country’s stability and future,” he said, noting that it had been a “difficult night” for his party and there was lots to reflect on.

However, Sunak held his seat in Richmond, North Yorkshire, by more than 12,000 votes, and said that he looked forward to continuing to serve his constituents in the “weeks, months and years ahead”.

“The British people have delivered a sobering verdict tonight, there is much to learn … and I take responsibility for the loss,” he added.

“To the many good, hard-working Conservative candidates who lost tonight, despite their tireless efforts, their local records and delivery, and their dedication to their communities. I am sorry.”

The elections saw many prominent Conservative Party top politicians, including Defence Minister Grant Shapps and Education Minister Gillian Keegan, losing their seats.

Also, there was a surge in support for the Liberal Democrats, while the populist right wing Reform UK party picked up support from disgruntled Conservative voters to win a clutch of parliamentary seats.

But for the Scottish National Party (SNP), it was a day of lamentations in what the Party leader, John Swinney called a “very poor result” after losing dozens of seats.

Many commentators said key issues for voters in the United Kingdom were the cost of living, the health service and housing.

Australian Prime Minister Salutes Starmer On Victory

Meanwhile, Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese has congratulated Keir Starmer on Labour’s victory.

Albanese, who leads his country’s Labour Party, says he is already looking forward to working with the new UK Prime Minister.