British Prime Minister admits defeat

“Labour has won this general election and I have called Keir Starmer to congratulate him. Today, power will be transferred peacefully and orderly, with goodwill from all sides. That is what will give us confidence in the stability and future of the country,” British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced on July 5.

Mr Sunak said the British people had made their choice and he needed to learn from it and take responsibility for the election defeat. The British Prime Minister also apologized to the Conservative Party.

“To the brilliant, hard-working Conservative candidates who have lost tonight despite their tireless efforts and dedication to their communities, I apologise to everyone,” Mr Sunak said.

British media later determined that the Labour Party had won the 326 seats needed to form a cabinet and elect a new prime minister. This result resulted in Mr. Sunak, Britain’s youngest prime minister in more than 200 years, losing his position.

Mr Starmer, the Labour leader who will succeed Mr Sunak, gave a speech in London, thanking supporters and praising them for “changing the country”. “It feels great, to be honest,” Mr Starmer told the crowd.

Starmer said the Labour government’s job was to “deliver on the ideas that unite the country”. “We must return politics to its public service,” he said, adding that his government would “demonstrate its ability to do good”.

This year’s election results are seen as reflecting British voters’ dissatisfaction with the cost of living crisis as well as internal strife within the Conservative Party, which has been in power in Britain for the past 14 years. Since the Brexit vote in 2016, Britain has had five prime ministers from the party.

Starmer, 61, a former human rights lawyer and chief prosecutor, was first elected to parliament in 2015. He became Labour leader in early 2020.