British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak conceded defeat in the United Kingdom’s general election on Friday and resigned from his post as the rival Labour Party secured a landslide victory, BBC reported.
The counting of votes began on Thursday night after polling in the parliamentary election concluded.
As of 4.00 pm India time on Friday, the Labour Party led by Keir Starmer had won 412 seats in the House of Commons, according to The Guardian. The Lower House has a total of 650 members and 326 seats are required for a majority.
Sunak’s Conservative Party had won 121 seats, followed by 71 of the Liberal Democrats.
The Reform UK party led by Nigel Farage, one of the key leaders of the Brexit movement, had won four seats. Farage himself was elected to the House of Commons in his eighth attempt, The Guardian reported.
“I have given this job my all,” Sunak said in his final address as the prime minister. “But you have sent a clear message, and yours is the only judgement that matters. This is a difficult day, but I leave this job honoured to have been prime minister of the best country in the world.”
He added that he will also step down as the Conservative party leader once his successor is selected.
“I take responsibility for this loss,” he said. The Buckingham Palace also accepted Sunak’s resignation, reported the BBC.
Sunak’s successor, Starmer will meet King Charles after which he will address the nation. The Labour Party leader will also appoint the new Cabinet. Starmer has been the Leader of the Opposition since 2020.
His predecessor in the Labour party, Jeremy Corbyn also won from Islington North constituency as an independent candidate. He has been winning the seat since 1983. Corbyn was blocked from contesting the national polls on Labour party ticket by Starmer last year.
Corbyn has been a vocal critic of alleged human rights violation in Kashmir. He had also expressed solidarity with the Indian farmers protesting against the now-repealed three farm laws in India in 2021.
In the last general election in 2019, the Conservatives led by Boris Johnson, the country’s prime minister at the time, won 365 seats. The Labour Party had won 202 seats.
The Labour Party’s win ends a 14-year rule of the Conservatives, often referred to as the Tories.
The election results were in line with recent opinion survey projections and the exit polls. The Labour Party had run its campaign promising change after more than a decade of Tory rule and highlighting plans to boost the economy that has been in turmoil since the country left the European Union.
Despite the Conservative Party being pummelled at the ballots, Sunak managed to retain his Richmond and Northallerton constituency. However, the prime minister said he took responsibility for his party’s overall defeat.
“The Labour Party has won this general election, and I’ve called Sir Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory,” BBC quoted Sunak as saying. “Today, power will change hands in a peaceful and orderly manner, with goodwill on all sides.”
Sunak said that the British voters had “delivered a sobering verdict ... there is much to learn...”
Sunak’s predecessor Liz Truss lost her South West Norfolk constituency, which is considered a Tory stronghold. With a 49-day tenure between September 2022 and October 2022, Truss is the shortest-serving prime minister in British history.
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