The Labour Party Thursday ended the 14-year rule of the Conservatives, crossing the majority mark in the UK elections. Keir Starmer, 61, a former lawyer, poised to become the prime minister — the first for the Labour Party since 2010.
“We did it,” he said, addressing his Labour colleagues. “You campaigned for it, you fought for it — and now it has arrived … change begins now.” Change begins now”.
Meanwhile, conceding defeat in the UK elections, Rishi Sunak described the mandate as a “thoughtful verdict.” Taking responsibility for the loss, Sunak said, “Today, power will change hands smoothly and peacefully, with goodwill from all parties involved.”
Results were still trickling in but Labour passed the threshold to secure a majority and an exit poll projected that Labour will win 410 seats to the Conservatives’ 131 in Britain’s 650-seat Parliament, a majority of 170. The exit poll was carried out by polling company Ipsos, jointly for British broadcasters BBC News, ITV News and Sky News.
A final pre-vote survey from research firm YouGov showed that Labour could win as many as 431 seats. If that ultimately happens, it would be the largest majority for any British political party since 1832.
Britons feel dissatisfied. They are worse off economically in recent years. Poverty has gone up. Compared with the U.S., Germany and other wealthy nations, Britain’s economy has stagnated since the 2008 financial crisis, according to the Office for National Statistics, a government-affiliated watchdog. After adjusting for inflation, salaries have barely risen.