Celebrating the landslide win, Labour Party’s leader, Keir Starmer, who will soon become the UK’s new Prime Minister said that the victory comes with a great responsibility, and pledged “national renewal” after 14 years of Conservative rule, reported CNN.
Starmer made the remarks at a Labour Party victory rally in central London on Friday morning following the win.
“You campaigned for it, you fought for it, you voted for it and now it has arrived. Change begins now,” Starmer said.
“It feels good, I have to be honest. This is what it is for. A changed Labour party, ready to serve our country,” he added, CNN reported.
However, Starmer further said that such a mandate carries a great deal of responsibility. Shortly after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced his defeat in the general election, Starmer said, “Our task is nothing less than renewing the ideas that hold this country together. National renewal…If you work hard, if you play by the rules, this country should give you a fair chance to get on… We have to restore that.”
“We have to return politics to public service, show that politics can be a force for good. Make no mistake, that is the great test for politics in this era. The fight for trust is the battle that defines our age,” he further added.
Starmer, a former barrister who entered Parliament in 2015 and assumed Labour leadership in 2020, has steered his party towards the political centre.
His platform emphasizes revitalizing public services while maintaining fiscal responsibility.
The outgoing British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak took 47.5 per cent of the vote in his constituency. Conceding the Labour Party’s win, Sunak apologised and said that he felt responsible for the loss.
“I take responsibility for the loss to the many good, hard-working, conservative candidates who lost tonight despite their tireless efforts, their local records of delivery and their dedication to their communities, I am sorry,” Sunak said.
“Today power will change hands in an orderly and peaceful manner, with goodwill on all sides” he said.
In late May this year, Sunak called for a snap vote, which came as a surprise for many in his party.
“I will now head down to London, where I will say more about tonight’s result before I leave the job of Prime Minister, to which I have given my all…” he said.
