There is a major change in Britain’s leadership. In the UK general election of 2024, general elections, the Labour Party appears to have secured a decisive victory with a strong majority. According to the election results, Labour has won 393 Westminster seats so far, gaining 194 seats and crossing the magical figure of 326 seats required to form a government quite early. Labour Party leader Keir Starmer will become the new Prime Minister of the UK.
The Conservative Party, which has been in power for 14 years, managed to win only 103 seats, suffering a major loss of 225 seats. These results were not surprising as BBC, ITV, and Sky exit polls had predicted this outcome right after polling on Thursday, July 4.
Alongside their big win, the Labour Party has gained international attention. It was founded amidst the labor movement and the rise of socialist political parties in the nineteenth century. The party’s name, ‘Labour,’ reflects its origins as a representation assembly for workers, established by Harriet Harman in 1900. The Labour Party’s ideology ranges from staunch socialism to liberal democracy and it stands as a full member of the Party of European Socialists and the Progressive Alliance (International).
Keir Starmer, after winning from Holborn and St. Pancras, stated in his victory speech that he will serve every person in his constituency, regardless of their vote, emphasizing that the people of the country are ready for change.
The UK general election also highlighted a major change in the representation of women in Parliament, with a record number of 242 female MPs elected, surpassing the previous record set in 2019.
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The British Liberal Democrats and the populist Reform UK party, led by Nigel Farage, also made notable gains. Farage’s party, after a campaign criticizing the Conservatives and promising to end illegal migration, secured 4 seats including that of its leader. The Liberal Democrats, advancing strongly, won 71 seats, with several Conservative ministers defeated in traditionally ‘Tory’ constituencies.
This election marks the Labour Party’s return to power a century after its first government and 14 years since the resignation of Gordon Brown. The party was officially founded in 1900 and first rose to significant political ranks in 1924 under Ramsay MacDonald. Notable leaders like Clement Atlee, Harold Wilson, and James Callaghan have also helmed the party, which has experienced various political shifts over the decades.
The new Parliament starts on Tuesday, 9 July, with members returning to Westminster after the general election. At 2.30pm, both Houses will gather in the Lords chamber to hear a Royal Commission from the King to open the new Parliament.
The House of Commons will then elect a Speaker, and members of the Lords will take an oath of allegiance to the Crown.
On Wednesday, the Commons Speaker-elect will be approved in a Royal Approbation ceremony, and members of both Houses will continue taking their oaths.