The United Kingdom has said “goodbye” to the Tories. Half a decade after obtaining its best electoral results in 40 years, the Conservative Party has collapsed. They would fall to 131 seats in the House of Commons, according to exit polls, compared to the 367 they won in 2019. In the vote count, which is currently ongoing, they are still at 85.
Keir Starmer has become the new prime minister of the United Kingdom, with a victory comparable only to that of Tony Blair in the 1997 elections. According to exit polls, they would obtain 410 seats. In the vote count, which is still taking place, they already have 360 seats, above the 326 necessary to have a majority. The message is clear: the country has opted for the change.
“We’ve done it. Change starts today,” Starmer celebrated after achieving a supermajority historical.
The Conservative Party’s landslide defeat is no surprise. Throughout the campaign, Rishi Sunak has been 20 points behind the Labour leader. Sunak, who came to power in the autumn of 2022, has been unable to regain confidence of the electorate in his party, hurt by the economic management, the scandal of the partygatethe management of the Brexitthe pandemic and internal divisions, which led to a constant succession of prime ministers.
“I take responsibility for the loss,” Sunak said, apologising and admitting defeat even before 100% of the votes had been counted.
The sudden decision to declare elections in the summer, Pedro Sánchez style, could have been his worst mistake. Sunak’s poor management of the election campaign, including his absence of D-Day anniversary and the election day betting scandal have also taken their toll on the leader tory as well as his cabinet.
The 2024 election could be historic in terms of the number of voters who have switched political affiliation across the country. The biggest losses have been among the Conservatives, followed by the Scottish National Party (SNP), in favour of the Labour Party, the Liberal Democrats and Reform UK.
Among the MPs who have lost their seats are Grant Shapps, the defence secretary, and Penny Mordaunt, the speaker of the House of Commons and a former candidate for party leadership.“People don’t vote for divided parties”Shapps said. Jacob Rees Mogg, former minister of the Brexithas also lost his seat.
The defeat has hit safe Conservative constituencies such as Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, which has gained a Labour MP, after having voted tory in all elections since 1820Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats led by Ed Davey have moved into third place with 58 seats, a big jump from the 11 they won in the previous election.
The SNP has slumped, winning just eight seats, down from 48 in 2019, in a defeat comparable only to that of the Conservative Party. The former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has retained his north London seat, but this time as an independent candidate.
14 years later
After 14 years of Tory rule, the UK has passed the baton to Labour. “Change starts here,” said Keir Starmer when he was elected as an MP. “Change” was undoubtedly the word of the night, constantly present in the speeches of the Labour Party, which is celebrating an almost unprecedented victory. Its new “supermajority” will allow it the freedom to implement the promises of its manifesto, including new policies in the areas of the economy, health, energy, social services and immigration.
The other winner of the night, however, was Nigel Farage. The politician, leader of the far-right Reform UK party (formerly the Party of the United Brexit), has become a deputy for the first time. Reform UK has obtained four seatsFarage has been able to mobilise support from Conservative voters dissatisfied with the government, although he has fallen short of the ambitious results predicted by some polls, which put him ahead even of the Tories.
On many occasions, support for Farage has split the Conservative vote, giving victory to Labour, which Farage has targeted. “My plan is to build a mass national movement,” he said in his speech. “We are going for the Labour Party.”
Keir Starmer’s victory is a statement of intent. In a country dragged down by economic difficulties and a severe leadership crisisFriday morning is not only a great victory for the Labour leader but also a devastating defeat for the Toriesin what is set to be the general election with the lowest turnout since 2005.
“It is time for us to deliver,” Starmer said in his speech. Now it is up to him to show whether ‘different’ is the same as ‘better’. The world is watching.
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