Britain woke up on Friday to a major political change. The Labour Party, out of power for 14 years, has dealt a heavy blow to the ruling Conservatives.
In the UK’s 2023 general election, Labour has won enough seats to secure a parliamentary majority, with ongoing vote counting confirming their victory.
Labour leader Keir Starmer is now set to become prime minister in the coming hours, replacing his Conservative counterpart, Rishi Sunak. Sunak, who oversaw one of the largest electoral defeats in British history, conceded defeat after several cabinet members lost their seats.
Starmer told a cheering crowd in an early-morning speech in central London: “We did it. You voted for it and now it has arrived. Change begins now.”
He thanked voters, saying they had changed Great Britain: “A weight has been lifted, a burden finally removed from the shoulders of this great nation, and now we can look forward again.”
He said his government will always put “country first, party second.” He said a “mandate like this comes with great responsibility,” and added that his government will be focused on “national renewal.” “We have to return politics to public service,” he said.
