The United Kingdom’s general election resulted in triumph for the Labour Party on July 4.
Keir Starmer, 61, of Surrey is the new prime minister after 14 years of Conservative Party control, per CNN. The victory, which was reported as a landslide, is a turnaround for the Labour Party, which suffered its worst defeat in 80 years in the 2019 general election.
Starmer, a former lawyer who was knighted for his criminal justice work, was elected to the head of the Labour Party in 2020 after a defeat in the general election. According to CBS News, he set out to “make the party electable again.”
The votes
In the U.K.’s voting system, voters in 650 constituencies elect a candidate to represent the district they live in — in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. The more left-leaning Labour Party has exceeded the 326 seats needed to win, CNN reported.
The results so far show 34% vote share for the Labour Party with a 24% for the Conservative Party, per the BBC.
While the Labour vote share increased only a little, the party gained over 200 seats while the Conservatives’ seats plummeted by 251. In third place was Reform UK, a conservative party with a 14% vote share and 5 seats.
The loss of the Conservatives
As the Deseret News previously reported, the Conservative Party was left with significant problems after former Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s time in office, including the scandals surrounding members of his government “breaking their own pandemic rules to attend parties.”
Continued inflation and “economic dislocations” have caused additional distress, per the article.
Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced his resignation as prime minister and apologized for the loss, according to the BBC. “To the country I would like to say first and foremost I am sorry,” he said in a speech Thursday night.
“I have given this job my all but you have sent a clear message that the government of the U.K. must change, and yours is the judgement that matters.
“I have heard your anger, your disappointment, and I take responsibility for this loss.”
He congratulated Starmer for his victory and wished him well: “In this job his successes will be all our successes and I wish him and his family well,” he said. “Whatever our disagreements in this campaign he is a decent, public-spirited man who I respect.”
Sunak reportedly traveled with his wife to give his resignation to the King after he made his remarks.
What comes next?
Despite the win, The New York Times reported that the election had the lowest turnout of voters in year, signifying “political dysfunction.” It also means that Starmer has some challenges ahead of him. In May, he laid out six key first steps he would implement should he win the election. According to BBC, these steps include:
- Initiating a “border security command” to prevent gangs from making boat crossings.
- Using “tough spending rules” to increase economic security.
- Increasing appointments by 40,000 weekly to cut down United Kingdom National Health Service waiting lists.
- Create Great British Energy, a clean power company.
- Recruit over 6,000 teachers by stopping private school tax breaks.
- Enlist greater numbers of neighborhood police officers.
Starmer has already begun the process of change in the government. CBS News confirmed that the new prime minister has met with the King, who ceremonially invited him to form the next new government.
Here are the most recent developments, per The Associated Press:
- The prime minister is organizing his cabinet, which now includes David Lammy as the foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper as the home secretary, John Healey as the defense secretary and Pat McFadden as the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.
- Rachel Reeves is the new Treasury chief. She is the first woman to be appointed to the position.
- Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, has been appointed as Britain’s deputy prime minister.
According to The New York Times, Starmer acknowledged how much work lies ahead. In his speech outside of No. 10 Downing Street, he said: “Our work is urgent and we begin it today,” before calling upon the country to “move forward together.”