Power is poised to change hands in Westminster with a landslide win for the Labour party in the general elections. In a year where several elections globally have delivered surprising verdicts, the British public have stuck firmly with the consistent trends flagged by opinion polls. After 14 years in government, the public turned on the Tory party in no uncertain fashion.
Labour returns to office with its first general election win in 19 years. Keir Starmer deserves plaudits for turning around the fortunes of a party that seemed in doldrums not so long ago. His challenge will lie in articulating a positive vision for the future amid sluggish economic productivity and tightened finances.
It was a night to remember for Labour supporters and one to forget for the Tories. Labour surged to 411 seats which represented an astounding upswing of 210 seats from 2019. Conversely, the Tories plunged to their worst result in their history.
The party ended with a sobering 119 seats which meant a loss of about 248 seats from the last election. They were outflanked not just by Labour but also by the Liberal Democrats who had a tremendous night with 71 seats, their best outcome in a century. Disaffected Tory voters also boosted support for the Reform Party which won 4 seats and elected Nigel Farage as an MP for the first time.
Labour clearly benefitted from the groundswell of anti-incumbency across the country. It won seats across all regions. It regained support from ‘Northern Wall’ vote.
