Newly-elected UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer addressed cheering supporters at a rally after the Labor Party's victory in central London as he promised "national renewal" after 14 years of Conservative rule.
"You campaigned, you fought, you voted and now the moment has come. Change starts now," Starmer told Labor staff. "It will be a changed Labor party, ready to serve our country," he said.
However, Starmer added that having "a mandate like this comes with a great responsibility".
"Our task is nothing less than renewing the ideas that hold this country together. National renewal. If you work hard, if you play by the rules, this country should give you a chance to get on… We need to bring that back. We must turn politics into public service, show that politics can be a force for the better. Make no mistake, this is the great test for politics in this age. The fight for faith is the defining battle of our age," Starmer said, in a speech that came shortly after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak conceded defeat in the UK general election.
Labor has won 326 seats, the crucial number that gives them a parliamentary majority and ensures that Keir Starmer becomes prime minister in the next few hours, CNN reports.
Outgoing Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party Rishi Sunak conceded defeat.
"I'm sorry. Labor has won this general election," Sunak said, adding that he had called Starmer to congratulate him and accept the election.
This moment marks the end of an era and the beginning of another! The Conservatives have ruled Britain for 14 years, but Labor has ousted them from power for the first time since 1997.