UK Election 2024: Power changed hands in Britain on Friday, July 5. The ruling Conservative Party lost the election to the Labour Party after 14 years. A few hours later, Indian-origin Rishi Sunak resigned from the post of Prime Minister. 61-year-old Keir Starmer of the Labour Party has become the 58th Prime Minister of the country.
Sunak has accepted defeat and apologised to the party. He also called Starmer and congratulated him on his victory. The Labour Party has got a bumper victory in the general election. The party has won 412 out of a total of 650 seats. The results of 2 seats will come on Saturday.
326 seats are required to form a government. On the other hand, the Conservatives were reduced to 120 seats. This is the biggest defeat of the Conservative Party in the last 200 years.
Table of Contents
The Labor Party won over 400 seats
| Party | 2019 vote share | 2024 vote share | 2019 seat | 2024 seat |
| Labor Party | 32.2 percent | 33.8 percent | 203 | 412 |
| Conservative Party | 43.6 percent | 23.7 percent | 365 | 119 |
| Reform UK | 2 percent | 14.3 percent | 0 | 4 |
5 important points from PM Starmer’s speech
1- Whether you voted for us or not, my government will work for all of you.
2- The public had lost hope due to the gap between the leaders and the people. The heartbeat of the country was getting tired.
3- It is time for a ‘reset’. However, it will take time to change the situation.
4- I will rebuild the country brick by brick. I welcome you all to a government that works for the people.
5- I will keep fighting until you start trusting the government.
Keir Starmer said- I salute Sunak’s hard work
Keir Starmer has said that I have just returned from Buckingham Place. I have accepted the King’s invitation to form the government of this great country. I thank Rishi Sunak for becoming the first PM of Asian origin. I do not want to deny the extra hard work he has done for this. We salute his hard work.
Sunak left 10 Downing Street
After the defeat in the UK elections, Sunak has left the PM residence 10 Downing Street. Coming out of the PM residence and addressing the public, Sunak said, “I take responsibility for the defeat. I am sad that now so many leaders of the Conservative Party will not be in Parliament. Thank you for your support and hard work in the election campaign.”
PM Modi congratulates the new PM of Britain
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has congratulated and wished Labour Party leader Keir Starmer for his victory in the UK general election. He posted on social media and wrote that he hopes to further strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries.
Along with this, PM Modi praised the leadership of Rishi Sunak and expressed gratitude for his ‘active contribution’ in strengthening the relations between India and Britain during his tenure.
Who is Keir Starmer?
Born to a working-class family in Surrey in 1963, Starmer’s upbringing was marked by hardships faced by his family. His father was a toolmaker. Starmer did not get along well with him. While his mother, a nurse, suffered from a chronic illness. Starmer’s unusual first name was chosen by his socialist parents as a tribute to Keir Hardie, the founding father of the Labour Party.
Starmer’s entry into politics was relatively late. He was elected as Member of Parliament for Holborn and St Pancras in 2015 at the age of 52. His reputation as a skilled lawyer paved the way for his political rise. He quickly rose to power, and served as Brexit secretary under former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
What Starmer promises
In the housing sector, Starmer aims to boost first-time homebuyers by launching a scheme that gives them priority access to new housing developments. He has also promised to reform planning laws to build 1.5 million new homes. Education is another priority, with Starmer pledging to recruit 6,500 teachers and fund their salaries by ending tax breaks for private schools.
