On July 5, 2024, in London, Britain, Keir Starmer, the leader of the opposition Labour Party in Britain, watches as the vote counting process proceeds.
After 14 years of frequently turbulent Conservative rule, Keir Starmer will lead Britain as prime minister when his center-left Labour Party trounces Rishi Sunak’s party in a parliamentary election.
The results of Thursday’s election are still being tallied, but as of right now, center-left Labour has secured over 326 of the 650 seats in parliament; an exit poll predicted that it would win over 410 seats.
The Conservatives, who have so far only won 70 seats, were expected to make the worst showing in the party’s lengthy history as voters punished them for a number of scandals, failed public services, and rising living expenses. It was an embarrassing night for Sunak.
Starmer declared, “Tonight, people here and around the country have spoken and they’re ready for change, to end the politics of performance, a return to politics as public service,” following his election victory in London.
“This is where the change starts… You cast your ballot. It is now our responsibility to deliver.”
Sunak announced his defeat and stated he had spoken with Starmer over the phone to wish him well on his win.
After taking his seat again, he declared, “Today power will change hands in a peaceful and orderly manner, with goodwill on all sides.” “There is much to learn and reflect on and I take responsibility for the loss to the many good hardworking Conservative candidates … I am sorry.” Polls indicate that there isn’t much support for Starmer or his party despite his resounding victory, and he takes office at a time when the nation is confronting a number of formidable obstacles.
The United Kingdom is expected to face its largest tax load since the immediate aftermath of World War II, with net debt nearly matching yearly economic output, declining living standards, and collapsing public services—particularly the beloved National Health Service, which has been beset by strikes—all contributing factors.
He has pledged not to raise taxes on “working people,” but he has already had to whittle down some of Labour’s most ambitious goals, such as its major green expenditure initiatives.
A significant portion of the damage done to the Conservative base came from the right-wing populist Reform UK party, led by Brexit advocate Nigel Farage, who ran a vigorous campaign focused on reducing immigration.
Although Starmer has pledged to abandon the Conservative Party’s divisive asylum-seeking strategy of sending applicants to Rwanda, he will also face pressure to find a way to stop tens of thousands of people from coming across the Channel in tiny boats.
The accusations and debate about the Conservative party’s future orientation started right away. Some claimed Reform had won over people who believed the party had abandoned its roots, while others claimed the party’s failure was due to its abandonment of the centre ground.
Reform garnered more votes than the Conservatives in large regions of the nation, taking four seats and Farage’s seventh attempt at election to parliament.
“There is a massive gap on the centre right of British politics and my job is to fill it, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do,” Farage declared with pride. “Believe me, folks, this is just the first step of something that is going to stun all of you.”
Populist substitute
The increase in favour of a populist alternative was consistent with recent trends in Europe, where the far right has been on the rise.
However, in contrast to France, where Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally party achieved unprecedented gains in Sunday’s election, the British public has, on the whole, chosen a center-left party to effect change.
Just when far-right politicians are enjoying victory, Starmer has pledged to strengthen ties with the EU in order to tackle challenges brought about by Brexit. Re-entering the European Union is out of the question, even though opposition to Brexit exists.
If Donald Trump wins the presidency in November, he might also have to cooperate with him in the US, but he has promised to maintain London’s unwavering support for Ukraine.
The election win would mark a remarkable comeback for Starmer and Labour, which just three years ago, when it seemed to have lost its bearings with its 2019 thrashing, was being criticised and supported as going through an existential crisis.
However, a string of scandals involving the Conservative Party, most notably the exposure of parties held in Downing Street during COVID lockdowns, damaged the credibility of the then-prime minister Boris Johnson, and its commanding poll leads vanished.
After Johnson was forced out at the end of 2022, Liz Truss’ dismal six-week premiership sealed the fall, and Sunak failed to damage Labour’s suddenly dominant poll advantage.
As the Conservatives were lagging Labour by about 20 points in opinion polls in May, Sunak shocked many in his own party and at Westminster by calling the election earlier than necessary. His campaign then proved to be a complete failure.
“We should have lost. Ed Costello, the chairman of the Grassroots Conservatives movement, which represents ordinary members, told Reuters that the Conservative Party “just seems tired and out of ideas.”
However, it is not entirely Rishi Sunak’s responsibility. The party has been led to disaster by Liz Truss and Boris Johnson. Rishi Sunak is merely the scapegoat.