Labour leader says ‘country has spoken’ with Tories on track to record their worst ever performance in a general election
Keir Starmer has pledged that it is “now time for us to deliver” as Labour was on course to win a landslide UK election victory and bring a crushing end to 14 years of Conservative rule.
The Labour leader is expected to become prime minister later on Friday with voters giving him a massive mandate to bring about change in Britain.
Rishi Sunak’s party is on track to record its worst ever performance in a general election.
Speaking at his election count, Starmer said: “I will speak out for you, have your back, fight your corner every single day. People here and around the country have spoken and they’re ready for change, to end the politics of performance and return to politics as public service.
“The change begins right here because this is your democracy, your community and your future. You have voted, it is now time for us to deliver.”
The BBC revised the exit poll, compiled on behalf of the three main news broadcasters, at 3.40am to predict Labour would win 405 seats, securing a majority of 160 to the Conservatives’ 154.
The Liberal Democrats were expected to take 56 seats, Reform UK four, the Scottish National party six, Plaid Cymru four and the Greens two after Rishi Sunak surprised the country six weeks ago by calling a summer poll.
The results appeared to confirm that Labour’s “time for change” message struck a chord with voters after years of chaos and division under the Tories, including the Brexit vote and its fallout, the handling of the Covid pandemic and the Partygate scandal.
At the last general election, in 2019, the Conservatives had a majority of 80, with 365 seats to Labour’s 203. The SNP won 48 seats and the Lib Dems had just 11.
If the exit poll is correct, Labour has secured a huge swing away from the Conservatives, who were on course to suffer their worst ever performance, and away from the SNP in Scotland, where John Swinney’s party will have been decimated, losing more than 40 seats.
Reform’s polling at four seats came as the hard-right party squeezed the Conservative vote across the country. Lee Anderson, the former Labour councillor and ex-Tory MP, became Reform’s first confirmed MP after winning Ashfield.
Nigel Farage won the seat of Clacton in Essex on his eighth attempt to enter parliament, pledging to take the fight to Labour next.
