Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer spoke of the “sunlight of hope” shining over Britain after his landslide election victory ended 14 years of Conservative rule.
Outgoing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was left reflecting on “a sobering night” after a record eight Cabinet ministers lost their seats, with the Conservatives suffering their worst ever defeat in a general election. Former party leader William Hague was more damning in his assessment, calling the results “catastrophic.”
With just a handful of seats left to count on Friday morning, Labour will have at least 410 seats in parliament, nearly 300 more than the Conservatives. Claiming at least 71 seats—63 more than in the previous election—the Liberal Democrats are celebrating after hailing their best results “for a century.”
The crushing nature of Labour’s triumph is likely to send shockwaves through British politics. Among the big-name casualties, Liz Truss, the former prime minister, lost her seat, as did other high-profile figures such as Penny Mordaunt, Grant Shapps, and Jacob Rees-Mogg.
Likened to an “electoral Armageddon'' by Sir Robert Buckland, the former justice secretary, several senior Conservatives have already warned of the dangers of the party shifting further right in a bid to win over voters from the Reform party, a newcomer to politics, led by Nigel Farage, which managed to get four seats.
The country’s only Polish-born MP, Conservative councilor Daniel Kawczynski, also lost his Shrewsbury constituency after polling 22.5% of the vote. Having already conceded defeat, Sunak resigned late on Friday morning.
Speaking to jubilant supporters, Starmer said that the country would now “get its future back” before promising that “change begins now.”
Stephen Flynn, the party's Westminster leader, described it as a “bleak night” for the SNP, adding: “There’s the Starmer tsunami, the fact that people want change in Downing Street, and we’ve undoubtedly been squeezed in that context.”
More scathingly, Alex Salmond, the SNP’s former leader, called the result “a slaughter.”
Elsewhere, Nigel Farage celebrated becoming an MP on his eighth attempt.
Commonly regarded as the engineer of Brexit, Farage overturned a Tory majority of 25,000 to take Clacton by 8,000. In an ebullient mood, Farage told voters that this was “the first step of something that is going to stun all of you,” before declaring that his party would now “come for Labour.”
With power expected to formally change hands today, Starmer has already spoken of his ambitions: “We have to restore politics to public service,” he said. “Service is the precondition for hope; respect the bonds that can unite a country.” Continuing, he said: “Country first, party second.”
Aware that the spotlight had now switched firmly to his party, Starmer said: “You have voted; it is now time for us to deliver.”
Abroad, foreign figureheads have congratulated Starmer. On X, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, wrote: “I look forward to working with you in a constructive partnership to address common challenges and strengthen European security.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also took to X, first lending his congratulations before adding: “Ukraine and the United Kingdom have been and will continue to be reliable allies through thick and thin. We will continue to defend and advance our common values of life, freedom, and a rules-based international order.”
Zelenskyy thanked Sunak for his unwavering support: “Challenger tanks, Storm Shadow missiles, F-16 training for our pilots, and the first bilateral security cooperation agreement are just a few of our shared achievements that Ukraine will never forget. Thank you, Rishi.”
With just a handful of seats left to count on Friday morning, Labour will have at least 410 seats in parliament, nearly 300 more than the Conservatives. Claiming at least 71 seats—63 more than in the previous election—the Liberal Democrats are celebrating after hailing their best results “for a century.”
The crushing nature of Labour’s triumph is likely to send shockwaves through British politics. Among the big-name casualties, Liz Truss, the former prime minister, lost her seat, as did other high-profile figures such as Penny Mordaunt, Grant Shapps, and Jacob Rees-Mogg.
Likened to an “electoral Armageddon'' by Sir Robert Buckland, the former justice secretary, several senior Conservatives have already warned of the dangers of the party shifting further right in a bid to win over voters from the Reform party, a newcomer to politics, led by Nigel Farage, which managed to get four seats.
The country’s only Polish-born MP, Conservative councilor Daniel Kawczynski, also lost his Shrewsbury constituency after polling 22.5% of the vote. Having already conceded defeat, Sunak resigned late on Friday morning.
Speaking to jubilant supporters, Starmer said that the country would now “get its future back” before promising that “change begins now.”
In Scotland, the Scottish Nationalist Party, like the Conservatives has been left licking their wounds after Labour recorded huge gains around the country. Defending 48 seats from the 57 in Scotland, the SNP are now likely to have 10 at most.To everyone who has campaigned for Labour in this election, to everyone who voted for us and put their trust in our changed Labour Party - thank you. https://t.co/q6yDNPnAbo
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) July 4, 2024
Stephen Flynn, the party's Westminster leader, described it as a “bleak night” for the SNP, adding: “There’s the Starmer tsunami, the fact that people want change in Downing Street, and we’ve undoubtedly been squeezed in that context.”
More scathingly, Alex Salmond, the SNP’s former leader, called the result “a slaughter.”
Elsewhere, Nigel Farage celebrated becoming an MP on his eighth attempt.
Commonly regarded as the engineer of Brexit, Farage overturned a Tory majority of 25,000 to take Clacton by 8,000. In an ebullient mood, Farage told voters that this was “the first step of something that is going to stun all of you,” before declaring that his party would now “come for Labour.”
The Greens are also celebrating a historic night after winning four seats, a result that will quadruple their presence in the Commons.The revolt against the establishment is underway. pic.twitter.com/xB7DQuvXWT
— Nigel Farage MP (@Nigel_Farage) July 4, 2024
With power expected to formally change hands today, Starmer has already spoken of his ambitions: “We have to restore politics to public service,” he said. “Service is the precondition for hope; respect the bonds that can unite a country.” Continuing, he said: “Country first, party second.”
Aware that the spotlight had now switched firmly to his party, Starmer said: “You have voted; it is now time for us to deliver.”
Abroad, foreign figureheads have congratulated Starmer. On X, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, wrote: “I look forward to working with you in a constructive partnership to address common challenges and strengthen European security.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also took to X, first lending his congratulations before adding: “Ukraine and the United Kingdom have been and will continue to be reliable allies through thick and thin. We will continue to defend and advance our common values of life, freedom, and a rules-based international order.”
Zelenskyy thanked Sunak for his unwavering support: “Challenger tanks, Storm Shadow missiles, F-16 training for our pilots, and the first bilateral security cooperation agreement are just a few of our shared achievements that Ukraine will never forget. Thank you, Rishi.”
More In Politics MORE...
