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The UK General Election results are in, and after a dramatic six week campaign, the Labour party has won in a landslide victory – a major change following 14 years of Conservative government.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is set to resign as Conservative party leader following the major defeat, confirming his departure in a final Downing Street speech this morning, and visiting King Charles in person to formally step down.
Labour leader Keir Starmer will now officially become Prime Minister, invited by King Charles to form a government.
“Change begins now,” Starmer announced in his victory speech, promising a “changed” Labour Party, “ready to serve our country” and “restore Britain to the service of working people.”
As the nation looks ahead at what a Starmer-led government could bring, we look back at the past six historic weeks in pictures, from the initial calling of the general election, to last night’s results.
7 key moments from the UK General Election in pictures
1. Rishi Sunak announces the UK General Election in the rain
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PM Rishi Sunak made a rain-soaked speech outside Downing Street on 22 May, announcing that he was calling an early General Election. “Now is the moment for Britain to choose its future,” Sunak announced in the rain, confirming the summer date for 4 July.
2. Lib Dem leader Ed Davey engages in constant campaign stunts
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Leader of the Liberal Democrat Party, Ed Davey, took a different approach to his election campaign, partaking in six weeks of stunts in the run up to the 4 July date. The first of his headline-worthy stunts was a paddle boarding session on Lake Windermere, seeing the politician fall into the water on multiple occasions. Next came swing dancing, aqua aerobics, slip ‘n’ slide racing, Zumba and of course bungee jumping from a crane.
However, the move did appear to pay off, with the Lib Dems having record-breaking success at the General Election, making the biggest gain in seats in its history.
3. Diane Abbott has her Labour whip restored to her
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Labour MP Diane Abbott had her whip restored in the run-up to the General Election, going on to triumph in her Hackney North consistency.
The MP was suspended by the Labour Party in 2023 after making comments about Jewish people not experiencing racism in a letter for The Guardian. Abbott formally apologised, and after an investigation by the party’s national executive committee, had her Labour whip returned to her.
“No decision has been taken to bar her,” Starmer announced in May. “The whip has been restored to Diane Abbott, as you know. So she is a member of the parliamentary Labour Party. No decision has been taken to bar her going forward.”
4. Nigel Farage gets hit by a milkshake (again)
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Reform UK leader Nigel Farage had a McDonalds milkshake thrown over him while leaving a Wetherspoons pub in Clacton-on-Sea during his campaign trail in June. A 25-year-old woman from Clacton was arrested for the incident.
Farage later appeared in the same area with a McDonald’s banana milkshake, stating “My milkshake brings all the people to the rally.”
This is not the first time this has happened to Farage, previously having a milkshake thrown at him in Newcastle in 2019.
Former Prime Minister Liz Truss loses her seat after 14 years
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One of the biggest Conservative losses saw former Prime Minister Liz Truss lose her South West Norfolk seat to Labour Party candidate, Terry Jermy, after 14 years as MP of the area.
“I think the issue we faced as Conservatives is we haven’t delivered sufficiently on the policies people want,” Truss explained in an interview with the BBC. “And that means keeping taxes low, but also particularly on reducing immigration – and I think that’s been a crucial issue here in South West Norfolk.”
6. Keir Starmer celebrates Labour’s landslide win with a speech of hope
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Keir Starmer celebrated Labour’s landslide victory in central London, delivering an impassioned speech after securing the necessary 326 seats.
“Change begins now,” the future Prime Minister announced. “You campaigned for it. You fought for it. You voted for it, and now it has arrived.”
He later continued: “Now we can look forward again, walk into the morning, the sunlight of hope, pale at first, but getting stronger through the day, shining once again on a country with the opportunity, after 14 year, to get its future back.”
7. Rishi Sunak apologises to the nation and announces his resignation
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Following the Conservative party’s historic defeat, Rishi Sunak made a final speech outside 10 Downing Street, with his wife Akshata Murty standing behind him.
“To the country I would like to say first and foremost, I am sorry,” Sunak stated. “I have given this job my all, but you have sent a clear signal that the government of the United Kingdom must change. And yours is the only judgement that matters. I have heard your anger, your disappointment, and I take responsibility for this loss.”
We will continue to update this story.
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