Labour Party wins UK general election

Translated by Andrea Solazzo

“We did it!” These were the words of the UK's new prime minister, Keir Starmer, after the Labour Party's victory in the 2024 election. With a guaranteed majority of seats, Starmer is set to form a new government, marking the end of the Conservative era. The outgoing prime minister, Rishi Sunak, acknowledged defeat, saying that the British people had “delivered a sobering verdict”. Labour's party wins in landslide: with almost all results available, the party won 410 seats out of 650 in the House of Commons, while the Conservatives stopped at only 118.

This is a historic turning point for the UK, as the Labour Party has the potential to radically transform the country. Currently, the distribution of wealth is extremely unequal, with the poorest 50% of the population owning less than 5% of the wealth, while the richest 1% hold 23%. Moreover, between 2021 and 2022, food assistance requirements increased by 37%.

Starmer will be faced with the challenge of managing a £2.7 trillion public debt corresponding to 98.8 per cent of the UK's gross domestic product. The source of the funding needed to realise reform promises in the health, transport, and education sectors remains uncertain, given his commitment not to raise major taxes, including income, VAT, and health and pension contributions.

The leaders of the EU institutions congratulated Starmer, observing the post-Brexit UK elections from the outside for the first time since 1973, when London joined the European Economic Community. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, enthusiastically anticipated a constructive cooperation to tackle common challenges and strengthen European security. Charles Michel, President of the European Council, pointed to a “new cycle” in London and invited the future Prime Minister of Downing Street 10 to the meeting of the European Political Community on 18 July in the UK, focusing on stability, security, energy and migration. The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, also extended her congratulations to Starmer, emphasising that “the relationship between the European Union and the United Kingdom is rooted in our shared values and long-standing friendship”, underlining the importance of continuing to work closely together as allies and partners.

On Friday morning, Rishi Sunak resigned as required by protocol, allowing King Charles to formally appoint Keir Starmer to form a new government. Sunak expressed respect for Starmer and took responsibility for the defeat, considered the worst for the Conservatives in terms of seats since 1906. He announced his intention to step down as leader of the Conservatives, though not immediately, to allow the party to identify a suitable figure for the new opposition phase.

Shortly after his resignation, Starmer met King Charles, who formally appointed him to take over the leadership of the government. Afterwards, Starmer gave his first speech as Prime Minister in front of the official residence at 10 Downing Street. He stated that the country had voted for decisive change and stressed the need to “start from scratch”. He added that it will take time, but he will work to restore confidence in the government's potential.