Keir Starmer has said the “sunlight of hope” is shining on Britain once again after the Labour Party won a landslide election victory.
The Labour leader is expected to become prime minister later on Friday after Rishi Sunak conceded.
Speaking at Royal Festival Hall in London, Starmer said people waking up to news of a Conservative defeat would feel “relieved that a weight has been lifted, a burden finally removed”.
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The prime minister’s party is on track to record its worst performance in a general election, with the Conservatives having lost a number of high-profile representatives, including former prime minister Liz Truss, commons leader Penny Mordaunt and former cabinet minister Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg.
Meanwhile, a surge in votes for Reform UK suggested it would win at least four seats, including Clacton in Essex where Nigel Farage was standing to be an MP.
The Greens also look set to win four seats, after victories in North Herefordshire, Waveney and Bristol Central, as well as being predicted to hold on in Brighton.
In his victory speech, Keir Starmer told a rally of Labour activists and supporters that change “begins now”.
Mordaunt, Rees-Mogg and Shapps among notable Conservative losses
He said: “It feels good, I have to be honest. Four and a half years of work, changing the party. This is what it is for. A changed Labour party, ready to serve our country, ready to restore Britain to the service of working people.
“There’s nothing preordained in politics. Election wins don’t fall from the sky — they are hard won, and hard fought for. This one could only be won by a changed Labour Party”, he said, adding that the British people “had to look us in the eye and see that we can serve their interests — and that doesn’t stop now”.
“I don’t promise you it will be easy. But even when the going gets tough — and it will — remember tonight and always what this is all about.”
The Labour leader promised an “age of national renewal” in which Labour would “start to rebuild our country”.
Starmer said the “sunlight of hope was … shining once again in a country with an opportunity after 14 years to get its future back”.
Conceding defeat in the early hours of Friday morning, Rishi Sunak said power would “change hands in a peaceful and orderly manner, with goodwill on all sides. That is something that should give us all confidence in our country’s stability and future.”
While the prime minister held his seat in Richmond, North Yorkshire, by more than 12,000 votes, he admitted it had been a “difficult night” for his party and there was lots to reflect on.
“The British people have delivered a sobering verdict tonight, there is much to learn … and I take responsibility for the loss”, Sunak added.
“To the many good, hard-working Conservative candidates who lost tonight, despite their tireless efforts, their local records and delivery, and their dedication to their communities. I am sorry.”
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