Britain’s incoming Prime Minister and leader of the Labour Party, Keir Starmer, and his wife Victoria, wave as they pose on the steps of 10 Downing Street in London on July 5, 2024, a day after Britain held a general election. Keir Starmer got down to work as Britain’s new leader Friday, appointing his ministerial team after his centre-left Labour party’s landslide general election victory ended 14 years of Conservative rule.
A sombre Rishi Sunak conceded defeat during a torrid night for his Conservatives that claimed the scalps of at least 12 of his senior cabinet colleagues — and his predecessor Liz Truss. Labour raced past the 326 seats needed to secure an overall majority in the 650-seat House of Commons at 0400 GMT, with the final result expected on Saturday.As of 1700 GMT on Friday, the party had won 412 seats in the House of Commons with only one result left to declare, giving it a majority of 174.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the two countries would “continue to be reliable allies through thick and thin”. “It has been very rocky over the last few months and years. I’m really excited to see what happens next,” he told AFP.Sunak tendered his resignation to the king shortly after returning to London from his rural constituency in northern England, where the depth of his party’s defeat quickly became apparent.
Starmer took over in early 2020 and set about moving the party back to the centre, purging the infighting and anti-Semitism that cost it support.