By Millie Cooke
Published: 05/07/2024
Updated: 05/07/2024
The Tories suffered a number of high-profile defeats, with eight Cabinet ministers having so far lost their seats
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Sir Keir Starmer has hailed an election victory for the Labour Party in the 2024 General Election after the Conservative Party was demolished across the UK in a brutal defeat, while Reform UK saw a surge.
Labour, which has won a majority, is on course for a landslide victory.
Arriving at Labour’s victory rally in central London, the Labour leader began his speech saying: “We did it.”
He added: "A mandate like this comes with a great responsibility", vowing to bring "national renewal" to Britain.
Starmer said the UK was waking up this morning to “the sunlight of hope”, which was “shining once again on a country with the opportunity after 14 years to get its future back”.
The incoming prime minister said that “election victories don’t fall from the sky”, adding: “Don’t forget how we got here. This morning we can see that the British people have voted to turn the page.”
He went on: “I may have mentioned my parents a few times on this campaign – once or twice – but the sense of security we had, the comfort we had from believing that Britain would always be better for their children. The hope – not high minded, not idealistic – but a hope that working class families like mine could build their lives around.
“It is a hope that might not burn brightly in Britain at the moment but we have earned the mandate to relight the fire. That is the purpose of this party and this government.
“We said we would end the chaos and we will. We said we would turn the page and we have. Today we start the next chapter, begin the work of change, the mission of national renewal and start to rebuild our country. Thank you.”
With 574 constituency results declared, Labour had won 385 seats with a 35 per cent share of the vote.
The Conservatives had 95 seats and a 22.8 per cent vote share.
The Liberal Democrats had taken 56 constituencies with 11.5 per cent of the overall vote, while Reform UK had 14.4 per centof the vote, translating to success in four seats.
Rishi Sunak held his seat in Richmond and Northallerton, winning 23,059 votes, but in his speech the Prime Minister conceded the General Election to Sir Keir Starmer.
Admitting that Labour had won, Sunak said the British people had delivered a “sobering verdict” on his party.
The PM said he took “responsibility” for his party’s loss, had called Starmer to congratulate him on his victory and would say more later in London.
The Tories suffered a number of high-profile defeats, with eight Cabinet ministers having so far lost their seats.
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps, seen by many as a potential leadership contender, lost his seat after the Tories' vote share slumped by 19.3 per cent to just 33.2 per cent.
Justice Secretary Alex Chalk and Education Secretary Gillian Keegan both lost their seats to the Liberal Democrats.
Meanwhile, Chief Whip Simon Hart fell into third place as Plaid Cymru snatched his Carmarthenshire constituency and Labour leapfrogged him to enter second.
Penny Mordaunt, who lost her seat to Labour, admitted the Tories took a “battering”, saying she will “never stop caring” for the people of Portsmouth.
In an emotional speech, she added: “Tonight, the Conservative party has taken a battering because it failed to honour the trust that people had placed in it. You can speak all you like of security and freedom, but you can’t have either if you are afraid."
But Labour also suffered a number of high profile losses, with Shadow Paymaster General Jonathan Ashworth being beaten by an independent in Leicester South.
Meanwhile, the Green Party’s Carla Denyer declared “history” had been made in Bristol Central after she beat Labour’s Thangam Debbonaire to win the seat.
And former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn beat his old party to hold his seat in Islington North and become an independent MP.
Former Tory chairman Sir Brandon Lewis said Sunak will go down in history for the worst General Election result in over a century.
He told GB News: “I think Rishi is somebody who will feel this very strongly and ultimately he's the leader of the party, he was the Prime Minister.
“He didn't wait until the very last minute for an election and then call it when he had to call it. He chose when to call an election and he'll know that he made that decision. That’s nobody else's issue, the Prime Minister makes that decision.
“I suspect right now that's weighing on him very, very strongly. The fact that we're even in a position where the sitting Prime Minister is in one of the safest in the country and we're wondering if he might be at risk, it’s a shocking place to be.
“He will go down as the Conservative Prime Minister and leader who had the worst election result in over a century. That's not something he would have been looking to do when he became leader of the party.”
Lewis said the party “has to come to terms with what it does next” but said Labour's vote share means there will be a “period of huge volatility”.
Reform UK has so far won four seatsbut exit polls initially predicted the party would win as many as 13.
Party leader Nigel Farage and his predecessor Richard Tice won both their contests, with Lee Anderson also holding his Ashfield seat following his defection to the party.
