Keir Starmer, a former human rights lawyer and prosecutor, is set to become Britain’s new prime minister after winning a landslide election on Thursday, July 4, ending 14 years of Conservative Party rule and moving toward a new government dominated by the centre-left.
Vote counting is underway in the United Kingdom’s snap general election with 650 seats in the House of Commons – the lower house of Britain’s parliament – up for grabs.
Results show Labour has passed the magic number of 326 seats for a House of Commons majority just before 5 a.m. on Friday, July 5, confirming a change of government that was predicted for months but is still a remarkable turnaround for Starmer’s party in a single electoral cycle.
Based on the official exit poll, Labour is on course to win 410 of the 650 seats in Parliament, the most since Tony Blair’s 1997 landslide victory.
The Conservatives were projected to take 131 seats — which would be the party’s worst result since its founding.
The Liberal Democrats came in third with 61 seats, according to the model.
Official results will follow, with most coming in the early morning hours in Britain.
The end of the Conservative government and the resurrection of what appears to be a more disciplined, centrist “establishment Labour” marks a huge reversal for Britain’s top parties.
Speaking from his London constituency after the announcement that he had retained his own parliamentary seat, Starmer said voters across the country had sent a message that it was time to end “the politics of performance” and “return to politics as public service.”
Outgoing Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak conceded defeat, saying it has been a “difficult night”.
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