Rishi Sunak bid a heartfelt goodbye to Downing Street today, following the Conservative Party’s worst-ever election result. Keir Starmer and the Labour Party are poised to take over.
With his visibly emotional wife, Akshata Murty, by his side, Sunak delivered his farewell speech before heading to Buckingham Palace to formally resign as Prime Minister. Despite the gloomy weather, he expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to serve and acknowledged the public’s clear message.
“I have given this job my all. But you have sent a clear message, and yours is the only judgment that matters,” he said. “This is a difficult day, but I leave this job honored to have been prime minister of the best country in the world.”
Sunak announced his intention to step down as Tory leader once a successor is chosen. He also extended his well-wishes to Starmer and his family as they prepare for their new roles.
After the speech, the couple walked hand-in-hand to a waiting car, leaving for Buckingham Palace. A statement from the Palace confirmed that Sunak had formally tendered his resignation, which the King graciously accepted.
Labour’s landslide victory, dubbed ‘loveless’ by some, comes after a brutal night for the Conservatives. With nearly all constituencies declared, Labour secured just over one-third of the votes across the UK.
Polling experts noted that Labour’s 33.8% vote share is lower than any of Tony Blair’s general election victories and even less than the vote shares secured by Jeremy Corbyn in 2017 and David Cameron in 2010.
Some newly-elected Labour MPs have suggested that the public may consider overhauling Britain’s voting system following the party’s triumph. Corbyn’s allies claimed that Starmer won ‘by default’ due to the dramatic collapse in Conservative support.
Sunak returned to London this morning from his Yorkshire constituency, where he conceded defeat to Starmer and offered an apology in a shell-shocked speech. He is expected to say a few final words at Downing Street before heading to the Palace to resign.
As Sunak’s tenure comes to a close, Starmer prepares to enter No. 10, with Labour’s majority reaching 170 seats, just short of Blair’s 1997 majority. The Tories are struggling to reach 130 MPs, marking their worst performance since 1906.
