UK: Sunak Resigns as Tory Leader and PM after Worst Election Defeat in History

By Staff, Agencies

Buckingham Palace confirmed that the British King Charles has accepted resignation of PM Rishi Sunak.

Earlier, Sunak has said he accepts responsibility for the Conservative Party's catastrophic general election defeat. Thus, he resigned as both the head of the party and the premiere of the Kingdom.

This comes as Keir Starmer has led the Labour Party to a landslide victory and will take over from Sunak as the UK's prime minister.

Sunak told supporters: "The British people have delivered a sobering verdict tonight, there is much to learn... and I take responsibility for the loss."

Speaking in central London, Keir said "change begins now", adding "it feels good, I have to be honest".

With nearly all results declared, Labour is projected to form the next government, with a majority of 170.

The Tories are set for the worst result in their history. They have lost more than 248 seats and are currently on 119 seats.

Former Prime Minister Liz Truss - whose brief, disastrous time in office led to a slump in Tory support from which it never recovered - lost her South West Norfolk seat to Labour by 630 votes.

Truss saw her huge 32,988 majority overturned, with the Reform candidate coming third with 9,958 votes.

She is among dozens of senior Tories who have lost their seats, including Defense Secretary Grant Shapps, Commons leader Penny Mordaunt, Justice Secretary Alex Chalk and former minister Sir Jacob-Rees Mogg.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly told the BBC a “large number of people who had previously voted Conservative have voted Reform” and the Conservatives now had to “think hard” about how to win back their support.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage won a seat in Parliament at his eighth attempt, in Clacton, promising "this is just the first step of something that is going to stun all of you".

Reform has four MPs so far - including chairman Richard Tice and former Tory Lee Anderson - and has finished second in many parts of the country, taking large amounts of votes from the Conservatives.

In a victory speech in London, Keir told cheering Labour supporters the country was waking up to "the sunlight of hope" which was "shining once again on a country with the opportunity after 14 years to get its future back".

He added: “Now we can look forward – walk into the morning.