Keir Starmer vowed to bring change to Britain as its next prime minister after his Labour Party surged to a landslide victory in a parliamentary election on Friday, ending 14 years of often tumultuous Conservative government.
The centre-left Labour won a massive majority in the 650-seat parliament with Rishi Sunak's Conservatives suffering the worst performance in the party's long history as voters punished them for a cost of living crisis, failing public services, and a series of scandals.
"We did it," Starmer said in a victory speech. "Change begins now ... We said we would end the chaos, and we will, we said we would turn the page, and we have. Today, we start the next chapter, begin the work of change, the mission of national renewal and start to rebuild our country."
With about a dozen results still to come, Labour had won 410 seats, the Conservatives 117 and the centrist Liberal Democrats 70 - their best ever performance.
About 250 Conservative lawmakers were ousted in the crushing defeat, including a record number of senior ministers and former Prime Minister Liz Truss.
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A glum Sunak conceded defeat and said he had called Starmer to congratulate him on his victory.
"Today power will change hands in a peaceful and orderly manner, with goodwill on all sides," Sunak said. "There is much to learn and reflect on and I take responsibility for the loss to the many good hardworking Conservative candidates ... I am sorry."
Key points from Starmer's speech:
- "We did it, you campaigned for it, you fought for it, you voted for it and now it has arrived."
- "Change begins now."
- "Four and a half years of work, changing the party. This is what it is for. A changed Labour Party, ready to serve our country, ready to restore Britain to the service of working people."
- "Across our country people will be waking up to the news. Relieved that a weight has been lifted."
- "A burden finally removed from the shoulders of this great nation. And now we could look forward again, walk into the morning, the sunlight of hope, pale at first, but getting stronger through the day."
- "Shining once again on a country with the opportunity after 14 years to get its future back."
- "Our task is nothing less than renewing the ideas that hold this country together: national renewal."
- "The fight for trust is the battle that defines our age. It is why we've campaigned so hard on demonstrating we are fit for public service."
- "We have to return politics to public service. Show that politics can be a force for good."