UK General Election 2024 Highlights: Keir Starmer succeeds Sunak as next British PM

The Scottish National Party posted its worst showing at a British parliamentary election since 2010, which appeared to set back its efforts for a referendum on independence. The SNP, which held 43 seats before the elections, won only nine out of 57 Scottish seats owing to Labour resurgence.

Labour leader Keir Starmer has officially become prime minister of the United Kingdom after receiving the blessings of King Charles III.

Britain's Keir Starmer arrived at Buckingham Palace on Friday for King Charles to formally appoint him prime minister, after his Labour Party won on a landslide election victory.

"The Right Honourable Rishi Sunak MP had an audience of the King this morning and tendered his resignation as prime minister and First Lord of the Treasury, which his majesty was graciously pleased to accept," said Buckingham Palace in a statement.

Rishi Sunak has departed from Buckingham Palace following his resignation as prime minister after the Conservative Party suffered staggering losses in the general election.

britain's King Charles III has arrived at Buckingham Palace ahead of Rishi Sunak's formal resignation as Prime Minister.

Rishi Sunak has arrived at Buckingham Palace to meet the King and offer his resignation, according to Sky News.

In his farewell speech, Rishi Sunak thanked his colleagues, cabinet and the civil service, before expressing "gratitude" for his wife and daughters. "This is the best country in the world," he said, adding that he was honoured to serve as the Prime Minister.

Outgoing British PM Rishi Sunak called his Labour rival a "decent public-spirited man", whose successes will be shared by the country, ahead of his resignation following the massive defeat against Labour.

In his last Downing 10 Street speech, outgoing British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the public has sent a clear signal that the government must change, BBC reported. "I have heard your anger, disappointment and I take responsibility for this loss," he said, while apologising to the candidates ahead of resigning as PM and Conservative leader.

Britain's Rishi Sunak said he would meet King Charles to formally resign as prime minister on Friday and would also stand down as leader of the defeated Conservative Party after Keir Starmer's Labour Party won a landslide election victory.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded outgoing British PM Rishi Sunak for his "admirable leadership" of the UK and active contribution in deepening India-UK ties.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated British PM-elect Keir Starmer after Labour's historic victory in the UK. "I look forward to our positive and constructive collaboration to further strengthen the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in all areas, fostering mutual growth and prosperity," he said.

Keir Starmer vowed to rebuild Britain as its next prime minister after his Labour Party on Friday surged to a landslide victory in a parliamentary election.

"We will continue the work begun with the UK for our bilateral cooperation, for peace and security in Europe, for the climate and for AI," Macron said.

China's foreign ministry said on Friday it hoped to get Sino-British relations moving on the right track and based on "mutual respect and win-win cooperation" after the UK's Labour party swept to power.

Irish nationalists Sinn Fein became Northern Ireland's largest party in the British parliament for the first time on Friday, capitalising on a poor election for its main unionist rival to cross another milestone in a campaign to end British rule.

Keir Starmer, the human rights barrister elected Britain’s new Prime Minister on Friday, pledged a “reset” not only for the country but also for the Labour Party’s relationship with the Indian diaspora to pursue a “new strategic partnership", including an FTA, with India if his party won a strong mandate.

Rishi Sunak has left Conservative campaign headquarters after speaking to party staff - one insider said the PM gave “a very big thank you”, BBC reports.

Labour's David Pinto-Duschinsky has taken the Hendon seat from the Conservatives by 15 votes following a recount, BBC reported.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy congratulated the Labour Party and Keir Starmer for winning the UK election, saying he is looking forward to working together on international peace and security.

London stocks climbed on Friday after the UK's Labour Party surged to a landslide victory in a parliamentary election, bringing a sense of stability to investors who expect it to end years of market volatility, Reuters reported.

Britain's outgoing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will make a statement in Downing Street at around 0930 GMT (3:00 pm IST) before meeting with King Charles to formally resign, his office said on Friday, after the opposition Labour Party won a landslide election victory.

• Grant Shapps - Defence Secretary
• Simon Hart - Chief Whip
• Gillian Keegan - Education Secretary
• Alex Chalk - Justice Secretary
• Penny Mordaunt - Commons leader
• Lucy Frazer - Culture Secretary
• Johnny Mercer - Veterans Minister
• Michelle Donelan - Science, Innovation and Technology Sectary
• David Davies - Wales Secretary
• Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
• Mark Harper - Transport Secretary
• Michael Tomlinson - Minister for Illegal Migration

Outgoing British PM Rishi Sunak arrives at Conservative campaign headquarters in London where he is expected to talk to party staff, BBC reported.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau congratulated his soon-to-be British counterpart Keir Starmer after an emphatic win for the Labour Party in the UK elections. "Lots of work ahead to build a more progressive, fair future for people on both sides of the Atlantic. Let’s get to it, my friend," he said.

Sky News reports that British PM Rishi Sunak will go to King Charles III and tender his resignation. Labour leader Keir Starmer will officially appointed by the monarch and then walk into Number 10.

Outgoing UK Home Secretary James Cleverly says the Conservatives "need to learn from this result" to try and get back into government as soon as possible. He was also "really sad" to hear about the defeat of former PM Liz Truss, calling her a "great parliamentarian".

Ed Davey's party - the Liberal Democrats has won the highest number of seats in its history, holding 70 seats so far. The party had won 62 seats in 2005 during the last Labour administration.

Suella Braverman, the sacked British Indian Conservative Party leader, on Friday apologised to the public for the Conservative Party's performance over the last 14 years after winning a seat in the 2024 General Election.

In a shocking moment, former British Prime Minister Liz Truss has lost her seat in Norfolk South West to Labour's Terry Jermy by a margin of 630 votes.

Adding to the disappointment of the Rishi Sunak-led Conservatives, the party has lost all their MPs in Wales after Welsh Secretary David TC Davies lost his seat in Monmouthshire to Labour. This is the first time Monmouthshire has been represented by Labour since 2001. 

James Cleverly, who was the home secretary, has kept hold of his seat in Braintree, a rare good sight for the Conservatives in a disappointing result where as many as 11 Cabinet Ministers lost their seats.

Defence minister Grant Shapps and Penny Mordaunt, leader of the lower house of parliament, were among eight cabinet ministers who lost their seats, surpassing the previous record of seven in 1997 when Tony Blair brought Labour to power in a landslide election victory. Education minister Gillian Keegan, culture minister Lucy Frazer, science minister Michelle Donelan, and justice minister Alex Chalk also lost their seats.

The Liberal Democrats are also among the big winners of this election, as it currently secured 69 seats in the Parliament. Meanwhile, the Scottish National Party (SNP) which fought on the Independence for Scotland ticket was on course to lose several seats to Labour, having won only seven seats so far.

Among the new Tory MPs included British Indian candidate Shivani Raja who beat Labour's candidate, former deputy mayor of London Rajesh Agrawal, in the closely watched Leicester East constituency.

The Labour Party has clinched a landslide majority as it won 400 seats out of 650 in the British Parliament, paving the way for Keir Starmer to become the next PM. The Conservatives, led by PM Rishi Sunak, has managed to win 110 seats in the worst performance of the party's history, according to Sky News.

A record number of women have been elected in the new House of Commons. Some 242 female MPs have been voted in so far, and the counting is still underway, according to BBC.

Sir Keir Starmer, 61, will become the next British Prime Minister after Rishi Sunak after his Labour Party won the UK General Election 2024 and is eyeing a landslide win over the Conservatives. A former chief prosecutor, Starmer has spent four years as opposition leader dragging his social democratic party from the left towards the political middle ground.

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A sombre-looking Rishi Sunak was joined by his wife Akshata Murty as he chose to use his acceptance speech to also admit his party’s defeat in winning another term in government.

The Labour Party is eyeing a record victory after crossing the majority mark, winning 375 seats as of 10:05 am (IST), while the Conservatives are reeling at 94 seats. The Liberal Democrats are in the third position with 52 seats, and the Scottish National Party (SNP) won six seats and the Reform UK won four seats.

Scotland’s first minister, SNP leader John Swinney, has apologised to his party colleagues who did not retain their seats in the House of Commons. He told the Press Association that the result was “very damaging and tough”, according to The Guardian.

According to The Independent, while Keir Starmer will become PM for sure, Angela Rayner is likely to be Deputy PM and Rachel Reeves is expected to be the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Other likely ministers in prominent roles are Yvette Cooper as Health Secretary, Bridget Phillipson as Education Secretary, David Lammy as Foreign Secretary, John Healey as Defence Secretary and Shabana Mahmood as Justice Secretary.

The relationship between the Labour Party and the Indian community has been testy in the past, particularly under Jeremy Corbyn, due to perceived 'anti-India sentiments' and talks on Kashmir. However, Starmer has recognised the growing clout of British Indians and has tried to stamp out anti India elements in the party to mend its relationship with India.

Labour’s vote is down on average by 10 points in seats where more than 10 per cent of the population identify as Muslim due to outrage over the Israel-Hamas war, according to BBC.

Former British Conservative minister Jacob Rees-Mogg failed to win the parliamentary seat of North East Somerset and Hanham, losing to the Labour Party, results showed early on Friday.

"Change begins now," British Labour leader Keir Starmer said on Friday in a speech after his party won the national election, ending 14 years of Conservative government.

The Labour Party has won a majority in the House of Commons and will form the next government. Keir Starmer would become the next British PM, succeeding Rishi Sunak.

British PM Rishi Sunak has held on to his seat in Richmond and Northallerton in what was otherwise a disappointing night for the Conservatives. He won over 23,000 votes and has conceded defeat to his Labour rival Keir Starmer to bring an end to Conservative rule after 14 years.

British PM Rishi Sunak conceded defeat to Labour's Keir Starmer amid a disappointing night for the Conservatives. "The Labour Party has won this general election, and I have called Sir Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory," he said. 

Warinder Juss, British Sikh candidate for the Labour Party, has wrested the Wolverhampton West seat from the Conservatives.

UK culture secretary Lucy Frazer lost her seat of Ely and East Cambridgeshire to the Liberal Democrats, as did veterans minister, Johnny Mercer in Plymouth to Labour. 

The Labour Party has won a total of 278 seats as of 4:30 am (9:00 am IST) as it is on course to secure a landslide victory in the UK elections, while the Conservatives led by Rishi Sunak are far behind with only 55 seats. The Liberal Democrats have won 34 seats so far, while Reform UK and the Scottish National Party have four seats each.

Nigel Farage's emphatic victory was followed by Reform UK's wins in Boston, Clacton, Great Yarmouth and Ashfield.

In another high-profile loss to the Conservative Party, Leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt narrowly lost in her now former Portsmouth North constituency to Labour's Amanda Martin by just over 600 votes, according to BBC.

The environmentalist Green Party won its first seat in the UK Parliament, as Carla Denyer defeated Labour's shadow culture secretary Thangam Debbonaire by 10,000 votes, according to Sky News.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan has lost her Chichester seat to Liberal Democrats with a margin of over 12,000 votes, becoming the latest cabinet minister to fall. Chief whip Simon Hart has also lost his seat of Caerfyrddin in Wales to Plaid Cymru.

In what is the closest fight so far, Conservative leader Richard Holden won the Basildon and Billericay seat by a mere 20 votes, defeating Labour's Alex Harrison, according to Sky News.

Indian-origin Conservative MP and former UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman has managed to hold on to her seat in Fareham and Waterlooville. She is also expected for the Tory leadership if PM Rishi Sunak resigns, which is highly expected.

The Labour Party, which is on course to return to power after 14 years with a landslide victory, has won 133 seats in the Parliament as of 3:40 am (8:10 am IST). The Conservatives are performing badly, with victories in only 18 seats and suffering the loss of two Cabinet ministers, according to BBC. The Liberal Democrats have won 16 seats and the Reform UK Party has won two seats. Jeremy Corbyn, former Labour leader now contesting as an independent, secured Islington North.

Kemi Badenoch, who is among the Conservative leaders likely to replace Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as party leader, has won from North West Essex.

Labour's Indian-origin candidate Kanishka Narayan stunned Former Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns from the Tory camp in Vale of Glamorgan, becoming the first MP from a minority ethnic background in Wales.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has finally won a seat in the Parliament after seven attempts in vain with a victory in Clacton by a margin of over 8,400 votes. He’s the second Reform candidate to win tonight, after Lee Anderson took Ashfield earlier. Farage said he'll do his "absolute best" for Clacton. 

Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who was ousted from the party, has won his seat in Islington North as an independent candidate with 24,120 votes, according to BBC. He defeated Labour's Indian-origin candidate Praful Nargund with a margin of 8,000 votes. Corbyn was suspended as a Labour MP for his controversial response to a report into antisemitism in the party.

Labour's shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves has won the Leeds West and Pudsey constituency for Labour on Friday. She is set to become finance minister if Labour win the election. "A government of wealth creation and a government in the national interest. Country first, party second. That is our promise to Britain," she said.

Arriving at his count in Clacton, Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, said his party would now be going after the Labour Party, which is tipped to form the next government by a huge mandate, according to The Guardian. "We're coming for Labour, be in no doubt about that... this is just the first step of something that is going to stun all of you," he said.

Iain Duncan Smith, the former Tory party leader, has held his seat in Chingford and Woodford Green as Conservative heavyweights, including cabinet ministers Grant Shapps and Alex Chalk, have lost elsewhere.

Labour's deputy leader, Angela Rayner, has been successfully re-elected in her seat of Ashton-under-Lyne, reported Sky News. "I hope to do you proud in a Labour government," she said after the result.

Labour Party leader Keir Starmer said the country had voted for change and it was time for his party to deliver, speaking after winning his seat in parliament. "Tonight people here and around the country have spoken, and they're ready for change," Starmer said.

UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps has lost his seat of Welwyn Hatfield to the Labour Party by a margin of 3,799 votes, according to Sky News. He is the second Cabinet minister to lose his seat after Alex Chalk from Cheltenham.

Conservative candidate Steve Barclay managed to hold on to his seat in North East Cambridgeshire.

Conservative Justice Secretary Alex Chalk lost his seat to Max Wilkinson from the Liberal Democrats, becoming the first Cabinet Minister to lose his constituency.

Labour leader Keir Starmer retained his seat in Holborn and St Pancras in London, with 18,884 votes, defeating independent candidate Andrew Feinstein with a majority of 11,572 votes, reports BBC.

Ed Davey, the leader of Liberal Democrats, successfully retained his seat in Kingston and Surbiton as vote counting was underway. 

The Keir Starmer-led Labour Party is on course for a historic victory as it wratched up more victories in Rochdale, Erewash, Tipton and Wednesbury, Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Southport, West Dunbartonshire, Broxtowe, Bishop Auckland, Stevenage, Barrow and Furness, Ashton-under-Lyne and Thurrock.

Liz Jarvis from the Liberal Democrats won the seat of Eastleigh from the Conservative Party.

Reform UK candidate Lee Anderson, who switched from the Conservative Party to Reform UK in March, won the seat of Ashfield, marking the first victory of Nigel Farage's far-right party.

The Labour Party secured victories in Darlington, Nuneaton, Knowsley, Barnsley North, Barnsley South, Leeds West and Pudsey, Telford, Bridgend, Colchester, Cannock Chase, Leigh and Atherton, Blackpool South, Redcar, Middlesbrough and Thornaby East, Rushcliffe, Wrexham and Whitehaven and Workington.

The Liberal Democrats secured their first victory of the night by wresting Harrogate and Knaresborough from the Conservatives, BBC reported. Tom Gordon defeated Andrew Jones with a majority exceeding 8,000 votes.

Conservative candidate Mark Francois held on to his seat of Rayleigh and Wickford with a majority of more than 5,000 votes over Reform UK's Grant Randall, marking the first Tory victory of the night, BBC reports.

The Labour Party won the seats of Newcastle and Washington and Gateshead South.

Ed Davey, the leader of the Liberal Democrats party, said the party was on course for its "best results in a century" after the exit poll showed it winning 61 seats in the House of Commons. "I am humbled by the millions of people who backed us to both kick the Conservatives out of power and deliver the change our country needs," he added.

Former Justice Secretary Robert Buckand from the Tory camp has lost the Swindon South seat to Labour's Heidi Alexander, becoming the first Conservative leader to lose his seat tonight. Buckland held the seat since 2010, reports BBC.

Scottish National Party (SNP) deputy leader Kate Forbes admitted that it will be a "difficult night" for her party as it is predicted to win only 10 seats in the Parliament, according to BBC. She said the SNP will now set out its "agenda to regain and rebuild the trust of voters across Scotland".

Labour candidate Ian Lavery has won in Blyth and Ashington in Northumberland, according to BBC.

Labour’s candidate Bridget Phillipson won in the Houghton and Sunderland constituency of north-east England, the first result announced in the UK today.

In a conversation with ANI, Indian-origin residents appeared confident that the Labour would end 14 years of Conservative rule in the UK, but appreciated Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for doing a good job, blaming his loss to the "mess" created by his predecessors Boris Johnson and Liz Truss. 

According to the exit poll, which is often quite close to the final tally, Labour is heading for a historic victory by winning as many as 410 seats, comfortably crossing the half-way 326 mark and notching up a 170-seat majority with the incumbent Tories down to just 131 seats. The Liberal Democrats are projected to come third with 61 MPs, the far-right Reform UK could win 13 seats and the Scottish National Party (SNP) could take home 10.