Keir Starmer Officially Becomes Prime Minister in United Kingdom
- Associated Press/Kin Cheung
United Kingdom – Keir Starmer has been elected as the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (UK), following a fierce contest against incumbent Rishi Sunak.
Starmer, the leader of the Labour Party, was elected in 2020, just after the party experienced its worst defeat in 85 years.
He embarked on a mission to make the party electable again and reclaim the leadership of the UK as Prime Minister.
The effort paid off four years later, after 14 years of Conservative rule, with Starmer set to take the top job in the UK on Friday morning, July 5, 2024.
With the final results in, the Labour Party has won 412 seats in the 650-seat House of Commons, while the Conservative Party only secured 121 seats. This marks a significant surge in support for a party that last won the general election in 2019.
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- Cameron Eden/Ministry of Defense via AP
The current Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, acknowledged that the voters had delivered a serious verdict against the Conservative Party under his leadership.
Starmer, 61, has faced criticism over the years for being perceived as lacking charisma. However, his methodical mission to steer the Labour Party back to the center of British politics and broaden its voter appeal has paid off.
Starmer and the Labour Party capitalized on economic hardships and political turmoil, promising to address these issues. He will take over the government with a monumental task ahead.
Currently, public trust in UK politicians is at an all-time low, with the number of children living in poverty reaching record highs.
Both the Labour Party and the Conservative Party are grappling with how to address this issue.
Final results from Thursday's voting were still being published on Friday morning, but Starmer is set to become the next Prime Minister of the UK.
Sunak left the official Prime Minister's residence at 10 Downing Street in London, which he had occupied for only 14 months, and made a statement confirming that he would soon meet with King Charles III to formally tender his resignation.
He also issued an apology to the British people, stating that he had heard their anger and personally took responsibility for his party's significant losses.
Starmer will also meet the King at Buckingham Palace after Sunak, and the King will take the constitutionally necessary, though largely ceremonial, steps to invite the Labour leader to form a new government.
Starmer will then return to Downing Street to deliver his first public speech as the new Prime Minister.
Once the formalities are completed, Starmer will receive briefings from key civil servants and the intelligence community. He will also select his new cabinet members and begin receiving calls from world leaders.
