Keir Starmer to Become UK Prime Minister After Labour’s Landslide Victory
On Friday, Keir Starmer will step into the role of Britain’s new prime minister following a sweeping general election victory for his centre-left Labour Party, ending 14 years of Conservative rule.
“The Labour Party has won this general election, and I have called Sir Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory,” announced a somber Rishi Sunak after being re-elected to his seat. “Today, power will change hands in a peaceful and orderly manner with goodwill on all sides,” he added, taking responsibility for the Conservatives’ defeat and describing the results as “sobering.”
In a triumphant rally in central London, Starmer, 61, addressed cheering supporters, declaring, “Change begins here.” He promised a “decade of national renewal,” prioritizing the country over the party. However, he cautioned that change would not happen overnight, even as Labour claimed numerous Tory seats, including those of nine Cabinet members and former Prime Minister Liz Truss.
Truss’s brief and turbulent 49-day tenure, marked by market turmoil and a crashing pound, played a significant role in the public’s decision. Facing a campaign to unseat her by local activists, she lost her rural constituency by just 630 votes.
‘Keir We Go’
Labour surpassed the required 326 seats for a majority in the 650-seat parliament by 0400 GMT, with final results expected later Friday morning. An exit poll predicted Labour would win 410 seats, securing a 170-seat majority, while the Conservatives would get only 131 seats—a record low—partly due to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party splitting the right-wing vote.
The Liberal Democrats also saw gains, overtaking the Scottish National Party as the third-largest party. This shift bucks the trend of rightward movements in other Western countries, with Labour poised to return to power for the first time since 2010.
British newspapers highlighted Labour’s victory, with the Daily Mirror headlining “Keir We Go” and The Sun, a traditionally Conservative tabloid, stating, “Britain sees red.”
Future of the Tories
Sunak will resign to King Charles III, who will then invite Starmer to form a government. The Conservatives’ previous worst election result was 156 seats in 1906. Political experts suggest the party must now strategize on how to recover and rebuild.
Right-wing figures like Suella Braverman and Penny Mordaunt attributed the defeat to the party’s failure to listen to voters. Nigel Farage, having finally won a parliamentary seat, aims to fill the gap on the centre-right.
Labour’s Agenda
Labour’s resurgence is a remarkable turnaround from five years ago when the party, under Jeremy Corbyn, suffered its worst defeat since 1935. Since taking over in 2020, Starmer has repositioned Labour towards the center, addressing infighting and anti-Semitism.
Consistently leading in polls since Truss’s resignation, Starmer’s Labour has been expected to win. However, he faces significant challenges, including slow economic growth, underfunded public services, and financial strain on households. Starmer has also pledged to restore political integrity after years of Conservative scandals and instability.
