Labor Scores Landslide Win In UK Elections

Keir Starmer will become Britain's new prime minister on Friday, as his center-left opposition Labour Party swept to a landslide general election victory, ending 14 years of right-wing Conservative rule, reported Phil Hazlewood for Agence France-Presse (AFP).

"To the country, I would like to say, first and foremost, I am sorry. I have given this job my all. But you have sent a clear signal that the government of the United Kingdom must change… …and yours is the only judgement that matters. I have heard your anger, your disappointment; and I take responsibility for this loss," the outgoing Prime Minister said before departing 10 Downing Street. I Photo: Rory Arnold, Number 10 Downing Street Flickr

"The Labor Party has won this general election, and I have called Sir Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory," a somber-looking Rishi Sunak said after he was re-elected to his seat.

"Today, power will change hands in a peaceful and orderly manner with goodwill on all sides," the Tory leader added, calling the results "sobering" and saying he took responsibility for the defeat.

At a triumphant party rally in central London, Starmer, 61, told cheering activists that "change begins here" and promised a "decade of national renewal", putting "country first, party second".

However, he cautioned that change would not come overnight, even as Labor snatched a swathe of Tory seats around the country, including from at least eight Cabinet members.

Defense Secretary Grant Shapps was the highest-profile scalp of the night so far, with other big names, including senior minister Penny Mordaunt and leading Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg, also defeated.

Labor raced past the 326 seats needed to secure an overall majority in the 650-seat parliament at 0400 GMT, with the final result expected later on Friday morning.

An exit poll for UK broadcasters published after polls closed at 2100 GMT on Thursday put Labor on course for a return to power for the first time since 2010, with 410 seats and a 170-seat majority.