'Our work is urgent, we begin it today': Sir Keir Starmer delivers first speech as UK prime minister
Labour stormed to a landslide victory, confirming a majority after winning 412 seats while the Tories suffered their worst-ever result, ITV News Political Editor Robert Peston reports.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer addressed a nation that has lost trust in politicians in his first Downing Street speech, vowing: 'My government will fight every day until you believe again.'
Rishi Sunak told the UK 'I'm sorry, I've heard your anger' in his final speech as PM after the Conservative Party suffered its worst ever result, telling colleagues: 'I take responsibility for the loss.'
At least seven hecklers, with one shouting 'you're a liar', brought new MP Nigel Farage's press conference to a halt as his Reform UK party won five seats.
After Labour stormed to a landslide victory, confirming a majority by winning 412 seats, Prime Minister Starmer appointed his Cabinet.
Penny Mordaunt, Grant Shapps and Gillian Keegan were some of a record number of Cabinet ministers to lose their seats, as well as other high-profile Tories such as Jacob Rees-Mogg and former PM Liz Truss.
The Lib Dems won the highest number of seats since the party's creation, securing at least 70 in a stark contrast to their tally of 11 in 2019.
By Westminster Producer Elisa Menendez and Producer Hannah Ward-Glenton
The UK's new prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, said his government will deliver change immediately to "restore service and respect to politics" as part of his "mission of national renewal".
After his Labour Party stormed to a historic landslide victory ending 14 years of Conservative rule, Britain's new PM vowed “my government will serve you” and promised to show “politics can be a force for good”.
The UK's seventh-ever Labour prime minister beamed as he greeted and embraced cheering, flag-waving supporters on Downing Street, hand-in-hand with wife Victoria Starmer, in scenes reminiscent of Tony Blair's 1997 landslide win.
Here is a summary of how Thursday night unfolded, leading to a huge majority for Labour and Keir Starmer becoming prime minister
Starmer got straight to work assembling his Cabinet, with Angela Rayner made deputy prime minister and secretary of state for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
Rachel Reeves has been made chancellor of the exchequer - the first woman to ever hold the role in its 800-year history, while Yvette Cooper is home secretary and David Lammy is foreign secretary.
Sir Patrick Vallance, who was the chief scientific advisor to the government during the Covid-19 pandemic, has been appointed a minister of state for science in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
The PM delivered his debut Downing Street speech following a meeting with the King who invited him to form a new government, moments after Sunak tendered his resignation.
Starmer told the nation he understands the current "lack of trust" in politics "can only be healed by actions not words, but we can make a start today".
Watch Prime Minister Starmer's first speech in full outside Downing Street
Starmer vowed to treat "every single person in this country with respect", after opening his speech by paying tribute to Rishi Sunak - acknowledging "the extra effort" it would have required for him to lead the country as the nation's first British Asian PM.
“I want to thank the outgoing prime minister Rishi Sunak," Starmer said. "His achievement as the first British Asian prime minister of our country, the extra effort that that will have required, should not be underestimated by anyone. And we paid tribute to that today.
“We also recognise the dedication and hard work he brought to his leadership.
“But now our country has voted decisively for change, for national renewal and a return of politics to public service."
"You must be absolutely exhausted," the King said to Keir Starmer in the meeting that officially appointed him as the new prime minister
The Labour leader continued: “If I asked you now whether you believe that Britain will be better for your children, I know too many of you would say no.
“So, my government will fight every day until you believe again."
It came after Sunak delivered his final speech as prime minister, wishing his successor well saying he had "given this job my all".
ITV News Deputy Political Editor Anushka Asthana explains how the political landscape has totally shifted overnight
Shortly before meeting King Charles, Sunak apologised to the nation after stepping out onto a drizzly Downing Street, saying: “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 judgment that matters.
“I have heard your anger, your disappointment, and I take responsibility for this loss.”
Sunak announced he will step down as leader of the Conservatives once a successor is found.
His wife Akshata Murty - who he thanked for the "sacrifices" she and their daughters have made during his premiership - stood by his side, ready with an umbrella in a bid to avoid a repeat of the rain-soaked Downing Street display the nation saw when he called a snap election in late May.
Sunak wished Starmer and his family well as they make “the huge transition to their new lives behind this door,” adding: “Whatever our disagreements in this campaign, he is a decent, public-spirited man who I respect."
After Starmer's first speech as PM outside Downing Street, his priorities will immediately turn to issues of national and global security. Officials told ITV News he will seek to show Britain has "returned to the world stage" during his first few weeks as prime minister.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer embraced his wife in front of an emotional crowd after securing the landslide victory
Labour reached the required number of 326 seats needed for a majority at 4.50am on Friday, as a record number of Conservative Cabinet ministers lost their seats in the Tories' worst-ever election result.
Starmer earlier told a visibly emotional crowd of supporters after the win was declared that the "sunlight of hope is shining once again" and people will be waking up feeling "relief that a weight has been lifted, a burden finally removed from the shoulders of this great nation."
It marks a spectacular turnaround since 2019, when Boris Johnson won an 80-seat Conservative majority and Labour suffered its worst result since 1935.
A dejected Sunak held on to his Northallerton seat with a nearly 13,000 majority over his nearest rival, but apologised to fellow Tory candidates who'd lost theirs, shouldering the burden for the "sobering verdict" on his party.
The key Tory defeats
Labour's victory saw a record number of Cabinet ministers defeated, along with other big names within the Conservative party.
Penny Mordaunt, Liz Truss and Jacob Rees-Mogg were among the big names to lose their seats.
The Conservatives' number of seats in Parliament fell well below their previous low of 156 MPs, set in 1906. The party no longer has any inner London seats after Chelsea and Fulham went red.
Former home secretaries James Cleverly and Suella Braverman were two of the few big-hitter Conservatives to hold onto their seats - the latter of whom delivered a scathing speech against the Tories, saying: “I’m sorry that my party didn’t listen to you. The Conservative Party has let you down."
Meanwhile, in a shift of tone, Tory minister Steve Baker said “thank God I’m a free man” after he was ousted from his Wycombe seat.
Party chairman Richard Holden won by just 20 votes in Basildon and Billericay and outgoing Chancellor Jeremy Hunt held off a Lib Dem challenge in Godalming and Ash.
In other key wins, former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn held on to his seat as an independent - after being ousted from the Labour Party.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage won a Commons seat on his eighth attempt and promised his party would “stun all of you”, having picked up five Commons seats over the course of Friday.
Reform UK won its fifth seat on Friday evening as James McMurdock was announced as the winner of South Basildon and East Thurrock
Shadow paymaster general Jonathan Ashworth, who played a prominent role in Labour's media campaign and had been expected to be part of the new prime minister's Cabinet, lost his seat to an independent as Labour’s stance on Gaza cost them votes.
The Greens also picked up four seats, including co-leader Carla Denyer defeating shadow culture secretary Thangam Debbonaire in Bristol Central - another previously expected to be appointed to Starmer's Cabinet.
How many seats did each party win?
Labour's landslide victory was declared in the early hours of Friday morning - winning 412 seats with 33.9% share of the vote.
The Conservatives have 121 seats and a 23.7% vote share.
Following a recount in the Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire on Saturday morning, the Liberal Democrats were declared the winner, bringing the party's total number of seats to 72.
Reform UK has been successful in five seats.
The SNP has nine seats, Plaid Cymru is on four, Sinn Fein has seven and the DUP has four. The Green Party has 6.8% of the votes and four seats.
Meanwhile, a record number of female MPs will sit in the new House of Commons, with 261 women MPs elected so far, passing the previous record of 220 at the election in 2019.
Who is Sir Keir Starmer, the UK's new prime minister?
'You're a liar': Hecklers interrupt Reform UK's press conference
Nigel Farage was buoyed by Reform UK's gains and his own personal victory - taking the seaside town of Clacton on his eighth attempt to win a seat in Parliament.
As he began to deliver a victory speech on Friday, several protesters shouted at Farage, saying: "you're a liar, you're a racist".
Farage accused one man who interrupted his speech of being “steaming” and shouted “boring!” nine times as a second heckler started speaking.
Stand Up To Racism have claimed responsibility for the disruption, posting on X that the action aimed "to send a message that migrants and refugees are not to blame - millionaire bankers like Farage are".
'I didn't even have to paraglide in' - Lib Dems buoyed by 'best result in 100 years'
Sir Ed Davey, whose campaign stunt strategy has injected some comedy into the campaign, celebrated becoming the UK's third largest party again. It is a position the Lib Dems have not held since 2015.
As he arrived at the party's headquarters to the sound of cheers, he joked: “I didn’t even have to paraglide in."
The party has won 71 seats so far, with his candidates swiping four Cabinet ministers' seats. It far exceeds the party’s result at the last general election in 2019, when it secured 11 seats.
'During this campaign I've told you about my own story of being a carer for much of my life... I want to make sure that we represent the millions of carers out there'
Davey said to cheering crowds: “This is a record-breaking night for the Liberal Democrats. We have swept to victory in seats from Land’s End to John O’ Groats.
“I am humbled by the trust that millions of people across the country have put in us.”
'Very damaging night' for SNP, with threat to Scottish independence cause
After a bruising set of results, Scottish First Minister John Swinney apologised to SNP candidates who did not retain their seats after what he described as a “very damaging and tough” night.
Scottish Labour overturned almost a decade of SNP dominance in Scotland's Westminster seats, sweeping the party out of Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Former first minister Nicola Sturgeon, speaking on ITV News' overnight election programme, called the SNP results "devastating", while leader of the SNP in Westminster Stephen Flynn said his party has been caught up in the "Starmer tsunami", adding: "I'm absolutely scunnered."
World premiers and former Labour leaders congratulate PM Starmer
US President Joe Biden responded to the news via X, congratulating Keir Starmer on his victory.
"I look forward to our shared work in support of freedom and democracy around the world, and to further strengthening the special relationship between our two countries," Biden wrote.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he looks forward to “strengthening the Ukraine-UK partnership” with Starmer as he congratulated the new prime minister on his “convincing” election win.
“Ukraine and the United Kingdom have been and will continue to be reliable allies through thick and thin,” he said. “We will continue to defend and advance our common values of life, freedom, and a rules-based international order."
Keir Starmer has also spoken to President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and discussed co-operation between the UK and EU.
“The prime minister and president emphasised the importance of the unique relationship between the UK and EU in addressing these challenges," a Downing Street spokesperson said.
“They agreed to stay in close contact and looked forward to meeting in person soon.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shared his “warm congratulations” with Prime Minister Starmer but also thanked Sunak for his years of “friendship”.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared his “heartiest congratulations” to Sir Keir and thanked Sunak for his time as PM, while French President Emmanuel Macron said he was “pleased with our first discussion”.
Former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair hailed Starmer for doing an "absolutely brilliant job", adding: "My heartfelt congratulations to Keir on a stunning victory and an historic achievement.
“To take the Labour Party from where it was to where it is now has taken immense skill, courage and leadership."
Former Labour leader Neil Kinnock said he was feeling "something like ecstasy" - but acknowledged Sir Keir has inherited a plethora of deep-rooted issues and that people would feel the results of a Labour government in “a year or so”.
“I do realise what a gigantic set of demands face this new Labour government," he said.
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