Keir Starmer, the leader of the opposition Labour party, will take over from Rishi Sunak as UK prime minister with the most emphatic election victory by any British political party this century.
Individual constituency results overnight signaled Labour would comfortably win an overall majority on a modestly increased share of the vote, returning the left-of-centre party to government for the first time since 2010.
A despondent Sunak conceded defeat in a short speech shortly after 4.30am, following a lacklustre campaign in which the Conservative leader failed to dent a substantial deficit in the polls that had lasted throughout his premiership.
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Here are the five key points from the election:
1. Labour’s Record-Breaking Victory
Keir Starmer’s Labour party is set to achieve a remarkable turnaround from its disastrous 2019 result. The party is forecast to win 408 out of 650 seats, well above the 326 needed for a majority. This landslide victory mirrors Tony Blair’s first election win in 1997. Labour’s first gain, South Swindon, saw a swing of 16.4 percentage points from the Conservatives, the largest swing to any winning party since World War II.
2. Anti-Conservative Sentiment
The election was marked more by a collapse of the Conservative vote than a significant rise in Labour’s support. The Conservative party polled about 22.3% of the vote, a catastrophic fall from 42.4% in 2019. Labour’s share increased modestly to 36.3%. By 5 AM, eight Conservative cabinet members, including Grant Shapps and Penny Mordaunt, had lost their seats. In Wales, the Conservatives lost every seat, highlighting the public’s dissatisfaction with the party.
3. Setback for Scotland’s Independence Movement
The Scottish National Party (SNP) experienced a significant defeat, dropping from 48 seats in 2019 to just eight. Labour made substantial gains, winning 35 seats, including every seat in Glasgow. The SNP’s comprehensive defeat sets back its push for a second independence referendum.
4. Nigel Farage’s Reform UK Gains Ground
Nigel Farage’s hard-right Reform UK party won four seats, including Farage finally securing a parliamentary seat in Clacton. The party’s presence in Westminster guarantees more media exposure for Farage. Reform UK also came second in many constituencies, particularly in Brexit-supporting areas, positioning itself as a future challenger to Labour.
5. Increased Volatility in British Politics
The election demonstrated the increasing volatility in British politics. Labour’s victory indicates that traditional political loyalties are weakening, with voters ready to judge politicians based on their performance. This shift suggests that landslide victories do not guarantee future success, as seen with the Conservatives’ recent losses.
