Liz Truss lost her seat. So did Penny Mordaunt, Grant Shapps and Alex Chalk. By the time the count was nearly finished on the night of July 4, 2024, Labour had won at least 410 seats in the House of Commons, and the Conservatives were looking at their worst defeat since the party was formed.
The BBC’s provisional count put Labour’s share of the vote at about 33.9%, enough for an absolute majority. The Conservatives, in office for 14 years, dropped to 118 seats on about 23.7% of the vote. Truss, who held the shortest premiership in UK history at 49 days, was beaten in Norfolk South West.
Keir Starmer spoke to supporters in London. “We did it,” he said. “Change begins now.” Earlier, after winning his own north London seat, he had told voters they “have spoken and are ready for change.” He promised “national renewal” and added that “a mandate like this comes with a great responsibility.”
Sunak apologizes
Rishi Sunak kept his seat in Richmond and Northallerton, but his speech there was subdued. “The British people have delivered a sobering verdict tonight, there is much to learn and I take responsibility for the loss,” he said, and he apologized to the Conservative candidates who lost. He phoned Starmer to concede. Outside Downing Street he said he would step down as party leader: “I have heard your anger, your disappointment.”
Sunak then formally resigned to King Charles. Starmer had his own audience with the monarch, who asked him to form a government, and he walked into Number 10 with his wife, Victoria. In his first speech as prime minister he spoke of steering the country toward “calmer waters.” Angela Rayner became deputy prime minister, and Rachel Reeves became the first woman to serve as Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Smaller parties make gains
The Liberal Democrats had their best night ever. They reached 71 seats on the DW count, which made them the third-largest party and pushed the Scottish National Party out of that spot. The SNP fell to 4 seats as Labour overtook it as Scotland’s largest party. Nicola Sturgeon, a former SNP leader, called the result “seismic for Labour” and “a massive achievement for Keir Starmer.”
Nigel Farage won at the eighth attempt, taking Clacton for Reform UK. “My plan is to build a mass national movement over the course of the next few years,” he said in his victory speech. CNN reported that Reform finished with four seats. The Greens also won four, three more than in 2019.
Jeremy Corbyn, expelled from Labour over an antisemitism scandal, held Islington North as an independent after 40 years representing it. “This result is to me a resounding message from the people of Islington that they want something different, they want something better,” he said.
Turnout was low. Of the seats declared by early Friday, it was running just below 60%, against 67.3% in 2019, on track to be the lowest in more than 20 years.
Congratulations came in from abroad. Ireland’s Simon Harris wrote that he looked forward to working “as close neighbours and friends.” Australia’s Anthony Albanese said he expected to work closely with Starmer on AUKUS. Justin Trudeau called it a “historic” victory, and New Zealand’s Christopher Luxon thanked Sunak for his service.
