Sir Keir Starmer has been appointed the UK’s first Labour prime minister in 14 years following a landslide general election victory. Labour secured a significant parliamentary majority of 174 seats, driven by a dramatic collapse in Conservative support.
Historic Election Results
Labour’s return to power marks a major shift, with the party winning 412 seats, just two shy of Tony Blair’s historic 179-seat majority in 1997. This victory comes after Labour’s worst performance in 2019, where it secured only 202 seats under Jeremy Corbyn.
The Conservatives experienced a sharp decline, losing 250 seats and retaining only 121, their lowest in history.
Changes Across the Political Landscape
Labour’s slight 2% increase in national vote share was overshadowed by a significant 17-point surge in Scotland, where it regained dominance as the largest party. The SNP saw a steep decline, falling from 48 to just nine seats.
Smaller parties also saw notable successes. The Liberal Democrats achieved their best result in a century with 71 seats, while Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, secured four seats. The Greens celebrated their most successful election night ever, winning four seats.
Key Figures and Farewells
Outgoing Tory leader Rishi Sunak, who will remain in his party’s leadership until a successor is chosen, expressed his regrets in a farewell speech outside No. 10 Downing Street. He acknowledged public dissatisfaction and apologized to unsuccessful Tory candidates.
Labour’s cautious campaign, which made few new policy pledges, managed to maintain a strong lead over the Tories since Sunak called the election in May. Despite the overall success, Labour lost some former strongholds to independent and Green candidates. Notably, shadow minister Jonathan Ashworth lost his Leicester South seat, and shadow culture secretary Thangam Debbonaire was defeated in Bristol Central.
Future Plans
Sir Keir Starmer is set to begin appointing his new cabinet today, with the first meeting scheduled for Saturday. Labour’s manifesto focuses on boosting economic growth through changes to the planning system, attracting inward investment, overhauling employment law, renationalizing passenger rail, and establishing a state-owned energy company to enhance green investment.
Stay tuned to QuickPost.News for more updates on the new government’s plans and policies.
