British Prime Minister Keir Starmer makes historic move on day one
New UK PM Keir Starmer has made a huge announcement on his first day as Prime Minister, something that hasn’t been done for 700 years.
Sir Keir Starmer has made a historic move on the very first day of becoming UK Prime Minister – a move that hasn’t happened for 708 years.
Labour won the British general election by a huge landslide, ending 14 years of Conservative rule and a run of five Tory prime ministers.
Former Conservative PM Rishi Sunak apologised to voters outside Downing Street before he went to visit King Charles to resign after his party suffered a soul scarring defeat.
The election saw a surge in support for the anti-immigration Reform UK party led by controversial politician Nigel Farage which won five seats of its own but also split the right wing vote and handed some safe Conservative seats on a platter to Labour.
There were also big increases in MPs for the centrist Liberal Democrats and the Green Party.
The biggest losers besides the Tories, which the Conservatives are known as, was the pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP) which lost three quarters of its Westminster MPs.
In a speech outside Downing Street on Friday, after visiting the King to formally become Prime Minister, Mr Starmer, 61, vowed to put Britain first and “party second”.
“Politics can be a force for good. We will show that,” he said.
“We have changed the Labour Party, returned it to service – that is how we will govern”.
Mr Starmer also vowed not to turn his back on people who are doing the right thing but slipping into insecurity anyway.
He talked about wealth creation, improving the National Health Service and securing the UK borders.
The Labour leader said his government would be devoted to “calm and patient rebuilding”.
“Our work is urgent and we begin it today.”
Historic appointment after 708 years
One of PM Starmer’s first action was to appoint a new Cabinet of ministers.
The most high profile appointment was also historic for Britain.
After 708 years of blokes, Mr Starmer appointed the UK’s first ever female Treasurer in Rachel Reeves.
Known as the Chancellor of the Exchequer in Britain, Ms Reeves, 45, will move into 11 Downing Street, next door to Mr Starmer.
“The opportunity to be Britain’s first female Chancellor of the Exchequer – that would give me immense pride, but also give me a huge responsibility: to pass on, to our daughters and our granddaughters, a fairer society. That’s what I’m determined to do,” Ms Reeves, a former Bank of England economist, said.
Other high profile appointments include Angela Rayner as Deputy PM and former Labour leader Ed Milliband making a comeback as Energy Security minister.
Tory bloodbath
A party needs 326 MPs to have an outright majority in the 650 member House of Commons.
Labour easily achieved this winning 412 seats, up 211 on 2019.
The Tories suffered a bloodbath losing 250 seats, holding on to just 120, the worst result for any British party in modern history.
The SNP went from 48 seats to just nine as Labour MPs prevailed across Glasgow and Edinburgh.
The Liberal Democrats won 71 seats, up a stunning 63 on 2019.
Reform took five seats and The Green Party also did well off of a small base. It increased its MPs from just one to four, only one behind Reform.
Pro independence Sinn Fein are the biggest single party in Northern Ireland.
New PM meets King Charles
Keir Starmer travelled to Buckingham Palace on Friday morning (UK time) for a meeting with King Charles.
The formal audience between Mr Starmer and the King is known as “kissing hands”.
Its name originates from when prime minsters would kiss the monarch’s hands in a show of loyalty when setting up a new government in the king or queen’s name.
It is not known if modern day prime ministers have kissed the monarch’s hand as the meeting is entirely private.
Sunak visits Buckingham Palace
Rishi Sunak arrived ahead of Mr Starmer to meet with King Charles to officially tender his resignation.
The two men were completely alone as per tradition. It was a chance for the King to ask the outgoing PM any questions.
Speaking prior to his departure outside Downing Street, Mr Sunak said: “I would like to say first and foremost, I am sorry”.
“I have given this job my all.
“But you have sent a clear signal that the government of the United Kingdom must change. And yours is the only judgement that matters. I have heard your anger, your disappointment, and I take responsibility for this loss.”
Mr Sunak also paid tribute to Mr Starmer describing him as a “decent public-spirited man who I respect”.
He added that he would step down as Conservative Party leader but not straight away.
Five for Reform
In one of the biggest stories of the night, Mr Farage’s right-wing Reform party were originally forecast to win as many as 13 seats, far more than expected.
In the end, the populist party that formerly campaigned as the Brexit Party, picked up five seats – up from effectively zero.
But it grabbed 14 per cent of the overall vote which, by that metric, made it the third most popular party. However, Reform’s vote was so spread out that in many electorates where it performed well it still came second or third.
Its five seats is still a significant political earthquake. Mr Farage will enter Westminster for the first time as the MP for Clacton in Essex – his eighth attempt to become an MP.
Party chairman Richard Tice won Boston and Skegness while Rupert Lowe earlier picked up Great Yarmouth, both in England’s east.
Sky News noted Boston had the biggest Brexit vote in the 2016 referendum with more than 75 per cent voting to leave, while resort town Skegness has recently been at the centre of anti-immigration anger over the use of local hotels to house asylum seekers.
Mr Farage took Clacton in eastern England, while Lee Anderson held onto Ashfield, in Nottinghamshire in the English East Midlands. He had been a Tory MP but by this election stood for Reform.
On Friday afternoon in the UK, James McMurdock won South Basildon and East Thurrock, in Essex, east of London, by 98 votes to make it five for Reform.
Interestingly, four of Reform’s five wins are on the English coast and three are centred on seaside resorts which are far less popular now many Brits holiday overseas.
Trump congratulates Farage
Donald Trump has congratulated Nigel Farage on winning his first ever seat – saying “Nigel loves his country”.
Former US President Trump said: “Congratulations to Nigel Farage on his big WIN of a parliament Seat Amid Reform UK Election Success.
Posting on social media, Mr Trump added: “Nigel is a man who truly loves his Country! DJT”
‘Disastrous’: Former PM loses her seat in huge embarrassment
Liz Truss, Britain’s shortest ever serving prime minister, lost her seat in a major upset in what was once a safe Conservative area.
She was prime minister of the UK for just 44 days, in which time she announced a ‘mini-budget’ which tanked the pound and saw people’s mortgage rates skyrocket as a result.
In the early hours of Friday morning UK time, it was announced she had lost her seat as an MP with just a few hundreds votes between her and the winner, a Labour candidate.
It is the first time in 100 years a former PM has lost their seat, and Ms Truss refused to give a concession speech on stage afterwards, as is the usual custom.
House leader gone
Another massive blow to the Conservatives — Leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt lost her seat of Portsmouth North to Labour.
“To anyone who is disappointed, democracy is never wrong,” she said in her concession.
Major Tory scalps also included former Deputy PM Therese Coffey, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps and Justice Secretary Alex Chalk, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer, Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer and Education Secretary Gilligan Keegan.
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