Sunak out, Starmer in: Key highlights of UK election

In a historic shift in power in this year's UK general election, the Keir Starmer-led Labour Party emerged victorious, ending 14 years of Conservative rule.

The outgoing prime minister Rishi Sunak conceded his defeat to Keir Starmer and said, “The British people have delivered a sobering verdict tonight... and I take responsibility for the loss.”

Sunak, 44, was the UK's first prime minister of color who assumed the role in 2022 after his predecessor, Liz Truss, stepped down after just 45 days in office.

While Sunak held on to his constituency of Richmond and Northallerton in northern England, bagging 47.5% of the votes, eight cabinet ministers of his party lost their seats.

"To the many good, hard-working Conservative candidates who lost tonight, despite their tireless efforts, their local records and delivery, and their dedication to their communities. I am sorry," Sunak said in his resignation speech.

Here are key highlights of the election:
1. The Labour Party crossed the majority mark 326 in the 650-member House of Commons. With results in 648 out of 650 seats of the House of Commons declared, Britain's centre-left Labour Party won 412 seats, while the Tories managed to get a mere 121 seats.

2. Sunak apologized and took responsibility for the party's loss saying, “I have heard your anger, your disappointment, and I take responsibility for this loss.”

3. After the results were announced, Keir Starmer said, "We have to return politics to public service... a burden has finally been removed from the shoulders of this great nation," adding that the task of the incoming Labour government would be "nothing less than renewing the ideas that hold our country together".

4. Ex-prime minister Liz Truss lost her seat in Norfolk South West to Terry Jermy, for Labour, who won the seat with a majority of 630.

5. A record number of 29 Indian-origin members of Parliament have been elected to the House of Commons with several Conservative Party leaders emerging victorious.

6. The Labour party welcomed 12 new People of Indian Origin (PIO) MPs with notable incumbents such as Lisa Nandy, Nadia Whittome, Navendu Mishra, Preet Gill, Valerie Vaz, and Seema Malhotra retaining their seats.

7. The Conservative Party saw an addition of two new PIO MPs. While Priti Patel, Rishi Sunak, Suella Braverman, Claire Coutinho, and Gagan Mohindra successfully retained their seats, Shailesh Vara and Ranil Jayawardena lost in North West Cambridgeshire and Hampshire North East, respectively.

8. The defeat of the Conservative Party after 14 years of rule has been largely attributed to the government's handling of the economy following Brexit, rising inflation reaching 11.1% in 2022 and the mismanagement of the Covid-19 pandemic and the healthcare system by opinion polls.

9. After the Labour Party's win, the London stock market advanced on Friday, as it boosted investors' hope of economic stability amid easing inflation.

10. Tough challenges of strained public finances, slowing economic growth, and overburdened state health await the newly elected PM, Starmer.