King Charles tells Keir Starmer ‘you must be exhausted’ after Labour general election landslide - live
Starmer assembled his cabinet after promising in his Downing Street speech to restore hope to the nation after Labour’s general election landslide
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The King told the new prime minister he “must be utterly exhausted” and “nearly on your knees” during their private audience as Charles invited Sir Keir Starmer to form a new administration.
Sir Keir assembled his cabinet after promising in his Downing Street speech to restore hope to the nation after Labour’s general election landslide.
Rachel Reeves was confirmed as Britain’s first woman chancellor, and Angela Rayner, Sir Keir’s deputy, retains the levelling up brief.
David Lammy, appointed foreign secretary, called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
The party won one of the biggest parliamentary majorities in history, with 412 seats — a majority of 176, with one result still to come on Saturday.
Rishi Sunak apologised to the country as he resigned as both prime minister and party leader, after the Conservatives won just 121 seats. Liz Truss and Jacob Rees-Mogg were among a string of senior Tories to have been defeated.
The Liberal Democrats won 71 seats and the Green Party four.
Reform UK’s seat tally rose from four to five after a recount in Basildon South.
General election 2024: Live results map as constituencies declare new MPs
Nigel Farage wins Clacton seat as Reform UK makes huge gains
Penny Mordaunt, Grant Shapps and five more ministers lose seats in cull of Tory big beasts
‘Moment of the night’: Viewers mock Nadine Dorries as she clashes with panelists on Channel 4’s election show
General election: Ask John Rentoul anything as Keir Starmer celebrates Labour landslide
Starmer and Irish leader agree to reset relations
Prime minister Keir Starmer and Irish premier Simon Harris have committed to reset and strengthen Anglo-Irish relations “with urgency and ambition”.
The taoiseach “warmly congratulated” Sir Keir on his appointment and said he looked forward to having a “close and constructive” working relationship.
Mr Harris also accepted an invitation to visit Downing Street on 17 July.
“The Taoiseach and the Prime Minister spoke of their shared determination to reset and strengthen the bilateral relationship between Ireland and the United Kingdom and to set about that task with urgency and ambition,” a statement said.
“They discussed Northern Ireland, welcoming the restoration of the institutions, including the full operation of North-South and East-West Good Friday Agreement institutions, as well as legacy issues.”
Starmer to hold first Cabinet meeting today
Newly elected prime minister Keir Starmer is expected to hold the first meeting of his new Cabinet today.
Mr Starmer made a raft of appointments on his first day at Downing Street and spoke with international leaders, including US President Joe Biden.
He confirmed Rachel Reeves as Britain's first woman chancellor, Yvette Cooper as home secretary and David Lammy as foreign secretary.
Angela Rayner officially became his deputy prime minister and retained the levelling up, housing and communities brief.
John Healey was named defence secretary; Shabana Mahmood justice secretary; Wes Streeting health secretary; Bridget Phillipson education secretary; and Ed Miliband energy secretary.
Pat McFadden, who played a central role in shaping Labour's election campaign and was named Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said Mr Starmer's agenda will be the six first steps Labour has set out.
That includes delivering economic stability, cutting NHS waiting times, launching a new border security command, setting up Great British Energy, cracking down on anti-social behaviour, and recruiting 6,500 new teachers.
After 649 of the 650 Commons seats had been declared, Labour had a majority of 176.
Labour had 412 seats and the Tories 121, the worst result in the Conservative Party's history.
The Liberal Democrats won 71 seats, while Reform netted five and Greens four.
Results map as constituencies declare new MPs
Our interactive colour-coded map allows you to see results in every constituency:
General election 2024: Results map as constituencies declare new MPs
Final results show widespread Labour majority as last constituencies roll in.
What does the public expect from Starmer?
After the Labour Party’s historic win in the 2024 general election, people outside Downing Street shared their opinions and expectations with The Independent.
Despite being loyal supporters of the Conservatives, some members of the public explained that they have now lost faith in the party: “I couldn’t vote Tory. All my friends are Tory, not one of them voted for them.”
Watch:
Starmer is the new PM: What does the public now expect?
After the Labour Party’s historic win in the 2024 general election today (5 July), people outside Downing Street shared their opinions and expectations with The Independent. Despite being loyal supporters of the Conservatives, some members of the public explained that they have now lost faith in the party: “I couldn’t vote Tory. All my friends are Tory, not one of them voted for them.” Labour seems to have benefitted from the public’s disappointment with the Tories, with one person explaining that, “most people seem to have been voting against the Conservatives rather than for Labour or any other party for that matter.” This comes as Sir Keir Starmer triumphantly entered Downing Street this afternoon, signalling a new era in politics and promising to fix Britain’s problems “with respect and humility.” The Labour leader returned his party to power after 14 years in the wilderness with one of the biggest majorities in history, while the Tories suffered their worst. Rishi Sunak announced he would quit as Tory leader and used his final speech in Downing Street to apologise to the British people and the Conservative Party.
Sunak’s greatest mistake? He overpromised and underdelivered
Analysis by Sean O’Grady:
Rishi Sunak’s greatest mistake? He overpromised and underdelivered
From the moment he stepped out onto Downing Street and declared that his administration would have ‘integrity, professionalism and accountability at every level’, technocrat Sunak was on a fast track to failure, says Sean O’Grady – and it was mostly his own fault
Votes split over war in Gaza
Labour lost several seats to Independent candidates with pro-Palestine campaigns, our data correspondent Alicja Hagopian reports.
The major parties’ stance on Gaza was a divisive topic during this election, with one in 5 Asian voters saying it would affect how they voted.
Key Labour figures had their majorities slashed by Independent voters, including cabinet ministers Wes Streeting and Shabana Mahmood.
Independent candidates have booted out Labour in four seats, including Blackburn, where new MP Adnan Hussain declared: “This is for Gaza”.
Jeremy Corbyn, who has been public about his support for Palestine, re-won his seat in Islington North.
We’ll redouble efforts to win Holyrood, says Scottish Labour leader
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said he would redouble efforts to get his party into government at Holyrood in 2026 after wiping out almost a decade of SNP dominance of Scotland’s Westminster seats at the general election.
Mr Sarwar’s party tore across the country’s central belt, mirroring the success of the UK-wide party and sweeping the SNP out of Glasgow and Edinburgh.
With all but one of the 57 Scottish seats declared, Labour held 37, the SNP nine and the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats each had five.
In the previous UK election in 2019, Labour returned just one MP to the SNP’s 48.
A recount in the Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire seat will not restart until 10.30am on Saturday, delaying the final result of the election.
Neighbour of Keir Starmer’s wife Victoria reveals what she’s like
Who is Keir Starmer’s wife Victoria? As her neighbour, this is what I know...
The Starmers are my neighbours in Kentish Town, writes Eleanor Mills, where Victoria is governor at the local school. With her chic ‘working mum’ vibe, ‘Lady Vic’ is very much her own woman and her husband becoming prime minister won’t change that
Keir Starmer’s first speech as Labour prime minister in full
Keir Starmer’s first speech as prime minister in full
In his first speech in Downing Street, Sir Keir said the British people had voted ‘decisively for change’
Sir Keir Starmer discusses closes co-operation with EU
Sir Keir Starmer has spoken to President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and discussed co-operation between the UK and EU.
The Prime Minister wished Ms Von der Leyen well in her upcoming parliamentary election and she congratulated him on his election victory, a Downing Street spokeswoman said.
“The leaders discussed areas of close co-operation between the UK and the EU, including support for Ukraine, climate change and regional security.
“The Prime Minister and president emphasised the importance of the unique relationship between the UK and EU in addressing these challenges.
“They agreed to stay in close contact and looked forward to meeting in person soon.”
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