An apologetic Rishi Sunak conceded defeat in the UK general election on Friday after the Keir Starmer-led Labour Party breached the majority mark, winning over 400 out of the total 650 seats.
The country’s first British Indian-origin prime minister comfortably held on to his own Richmond and Northallerton seat in northern England with 23,059 votes but failed to turn things around for his party at a national level after 14 years in government.
A sombre-looking Sunak was joined by his wife Akshata Murty as his future as a member of Parliament was decided and he chose to use his acceptance speech to also admit his party’s defeat in winning another term in government.
“The Labour Party has won this general election and I have called Sir Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory,” said Sunak, acknowledging the “sobering verdict” handed to his party.
“Today power will change hands in a peaceful and orderly manner with goodwill on all sides and it is something that should give us all confidence in our country’s stability and future,” he said.
There is much to learn and reflect, he said.
Taking responsibility for the defeat he told voters: “I am sorry”.
With some of the most prominent ministers and MPs such as Grant Shapps and Penny Mordaunt losing the election, the results are being dubbed a “bloodbath” for the Conservatives.
In contrast, Labour’s Starmer stands poised to take charge at 10 Downing Street as Britain’s new Prime Minister after he also comfortably won his own seat of Holborn and St. Pancras in London.
Meanwhile, Keir Starmer vowed to bring change to Britain as its next prime minister.
“Change begins now,” Starmer said in a victory speech. “We said we would end the chaos, and we will, we said we would turn the page, and we have. Today, we start the next chapter, begin the work of change, the mission of national renewal and start to rebuild our country.”
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