Following a historic landslide victory for the Labour Party in the UK general election, Keir Starmer officially became Britain’s new prime minister on Friday, ending 14 years of Conservative government.
“Our country has now voted decisively for change, for national renewal and a return of politics to public service,” Starmer said during his first speech as prime minister outside 10 Downing Street in London.
As polls and pundits largely predicted, Starmer’s centre-left party won Thursday’s election, with Labour winning a majority of 412 seats in the British House of Commons.
Meanwhile, the Conservative Party suffered its worst performance in almost 200 years, the newspaper said. reports from the BBCwinning just 121 of the 650 available seats and witnessing the ousting of several of its leading cabinet members. This included former Prime Minister Liz Truss, who was Britain’s shortest-serving elected leader with 44 days in office.
The outgoing leader of the party, Rishi Sunakacknowledged the decisive defeat before formally stepping down, telling voters he had heard their anger and disappointment and that he took “responsibility for this loss.”
“You have sent a clear signal that the government of the United Kingdom must change and that your judgment is the only one that matters,” Sunak said in his final address to the nation as prime minister.
The results follow growing public dissatisfaction with the Conservatives over their handling of key issues such as the cost of living and immigration levels. A spate of scandals within the party, including the infamous “Partygate” when then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson held parties at 10 Downing Street during the COVID-19 pandemic, also reinforced Labour Party calls for voters to usher in a new era of leadership.
“Changing a country is not like flipping a switch. The world is now a more unstable place. This will take time, but have no doubt that the work of change will begin immediately,” Starmer promised at the end of his speech.
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