World leaders congratulate ‘friend’ Starmer on election victory

by Press Association

July 5 2024, 6

The Labour leader secured victory in the General Election in the early hours of Friday (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Security, migration and the war in Gaza were some of the issues raised as world leaders congratulated their “friend” Sir Keir Starmer on his General Election victory.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was among the first to share a message as he said he hopes to build a “progressive, fair future” with the Labour leader – who he described as “my friend”.

“Congratulations, (Sir Keir), on a historic U.K. election victory,” Mr Trudeau posted to X.

“Lots of work ahead to build a more progressive, fair future for people on both sides of the Atlantic. Let’s get to it, my friend.”

A key issue Sir Keir will face in the early days of his premiership will be the war in Gaza, and Israeli president Isaac Herzog said he looked forward to working together to bringing home hostages taken by Hamas.

“I send my warmest congratulations to (Sir Keir),” Mr Herzog posted to X.

“As he prepares to enter Downing Street as Prime Minister, I look forward to working together with him and his new government to bring our hostages home, to build a better future for the region, and to deepen the close friendship between Israel and the United Kingdom.”

Mr Herzog also expressed his “deepest appreciation and gratitude” to outgoing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak “for his leadership and for standing with the Israeli people especially during this most difficult period”.

Eight years since the Brexit vote, European Council president Charles Michel declared Sir Keir’s election would mark a “new cycle” for the UK as he looked forward to working together on “common challenges”.

“Congratulations @Keir_Starmer on a historic election victory in the UK,” Mr Michel posted to X.

“(The European Union and UK) are crucial partners, cooperating in all areas of mutual interest for our citizens.

“I look forward to working with you and your government in this new cycle for the UK.

“See you soon in the European Political Community meeting on 18 July in the UK where we will discuss common challenges, including stability, security, energy and migration.”

Sir Keir will also be scrutinised over his approach to Russia after its invasion of Ukraine, and Kaja Kallas, the prime minister of Russian neighbour Estonia, shared a message highlighting “common security”.

“Congratulations on your historic election victory, (Sir Keir),” Ms Kallas posted to X.

“Estonia and the UK are the strongest of allies and the closest of friends. The UK’s commitment to our common security is valued by every Estonian.

“I’m sure our excellent cooperation will only continue to thrive.”

Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese said he is looking forward to working constructively with Sir Keir, describing him as his “friend”.

“Congratulations to my friend and new UK Prime Minister (Sir Keir) on his resounding election victory – I look forward to working constructively with the incoming (Labour) Government,” he posted to X.

London and Westminster

‘Two Cities' turns red for first time in history

'It's five o'clock in the morning and you're asking me that?!'

Friday, 5th July — By Tom Foot

Rachel Blake at 5am 

LABOUR’S Rachel Blake was elected Labour MP for Cities of London and Westminster turning the constituency red for the first time in its history.

The result around 5am at the Lindsey Hall, a short walk from the Houses of Parliament, as Sir Keir Starmer’s landslide general election victory brought the curtain down on 14 years of Conservative rule.

Ms Blake polled 15,302 to the Tory candidate Tim Barnes’ 12,594, with a 39 percent share of the vote.

In her speech, she said: “Elections are a time for people to make a choice. A decision has been made. It’s time to move forward. We have endured 14 years of Conservative led government. They have presided over chaos.”

She later told the Extra that she was determined to make housing and homeless at the top of her agenda as her first order of business, adding: “Getting Britain building again is something that is so important.”

Asked about different models of social housing, she said: “It’s 5 o clock in the morning and you’re asking me that.”

“No but I think we need to get developers to build more when they are building. Getting more out of Section 106 is something Labour is already talking about.”

“It’s an amazing feeling, right now I feel pretty weird.”

The “Two Cities” constituency boasts some of wealthiest residential areas of London including Mayfair, Belgravia, Marylebone and the City itself – and has always been considered a Conservative fortress.

It was last held by the former Westminster Council leader Nickie Aiken, who chose not to stand again after one term in office.

Mr Barnes, who stood for the Conservatives against Keir Starmer in Holborn and St Pancras in 2017, told Extra the results across the country showed Reform had not materialised as a significant political force, and the relatively small majority held by Ms Blake showed the constituency would be up for grabs next time round in “a two horse race”.

He criticised former Home Secretary Suella Braverman for using her acceptance speech to suggest her own credentials as a new leader of the Conservative Party, on what he described overall as a “terrible night”.

In the north of the borough, Georgia Gould won the redrawn Queen’s Park and Maida Vale constituency with 20,196 votes – more than 15000 votes ahead of her closest rivals.

The Green Vivien Lichtenstein came in second place with Samia Hersi the Conservative in third.

Ms Gould had been selected as the candidate to replace Karen Buck with the veteran MP standing down after 27 years representing the constituency, formerly Westminster North.

After the result was announced, Ms Gould told Extra the “fundamental challenge” for her MP would also be tackling housing and homelessness.

The constituency was called just before 6am in a long night for all concerned at the Westminster count.

Georgia Gould at 6am

Officials who appeared baffled by the delay in results as everyone else has suggested cause could be connected to serious road traffic accident in Park Lane, Mayfair – and a concert in Hyde Park – although there was no real evidence of this.

In 2019, Ms Buck held her constituency with a substantial majority in the Boris Johnson landslide in 2019 with a majority of 10,759.

Lab – Rachel Blake – 15,302.

Con – Tim Barnes – 12,594.

Lib – Dem Ed Lucas – 4,335.

Green – Rajiv Sinha – 2,844.

Reform – Tarun Ghulati – 2752.

LABOUR DEFIES EXIT POLL IN TEESSIDE GENERAL ELECTION FIGHTBACK

Reform UK were projected to win Hartlepool at 10pm - but that did not play out

July 05 2024, 07.05am
By Jamie Lopez

Labour fought back in the so-called Red Wall of Northern seats during a night of huge electoral success.

As the party romped home to a landslide win across the country, it won back four Teesside seats which it had lost since 2017. In the end, the Conservatives finished with just one North East MP as deputy party chairman Matt Vickers won in the newly formed Stockton West.

Another senior Tory endured an extremely narrow defeat, becoming one of several high profile defeats across the party. Sir Simon Clarke, a former Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, lost his Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland to Labour’s Luke Myer by just 214 votes.

In Hartlepool, the 10pm exit poll pointed towards a likely Reform win but the reality proved different. Instead, Labour won the seat with a margin greater than 8,000.

Anna Turley, one of the 2019 casualties, won back the Redcar seat. Interestingly, she won just a few hundred votes more than at the last General Election as the Conservative vote dropped by 6,000.

The other Labour gain in the region was Darlington, where Lola McEvoy defeated 2019 intake Peter Gibson.

Meanwhile, in Middlesbrough and Thornaby East - formerly Middlesbrough - Andy McDonald retained the MP role he has held since 2012. Stockton North was another comfortable win for the party as Chris McDonald won an 8,000 majority and Reform pushed the Conservatives into third place.

Across the country, Labour won a historic landslide that saw a generational change in The Houses of Parliament. Keir Starmer will now become the Prime Minister.

Labour turned around its disastrous 2019 results to win back hundreds of lost seats - though it was not without losing defeats, such as Blackburn and Islington North, to independent candidates. However, it was also a good night for The Liberal Democrats, The Green Party and Reform UK, who all made gains.

 The Teesside Lead 

Shock election results as Leicestershire wakes up to five new MPs

One result had the people watching on gasping out loud


NEWS
By Tess Rushin
Julia Breens

Local Democracy Reporter
Hannah Richardson
Lee Garrett

 5 JUL 2024

Leicester's three seats undergoing their counts (Image: Hannah Richardson/Leicestershire Live)

The 2024 General Election was expected to be “historic”, but nobody could have predicted the shock results seen here in the city and county. As the country wakes up to a new Labour Government, Leicester and Leicestershire will be waking up today with five new MPs – and not in the seats we were expecting.

The Labour Party crossed the threshold it needed for a majority a little before 5am. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak conceded the election and Sir Keir Starmer claimed victory – a result every poll had predicted.

However, locally things did not follow the expected pattern. The biggest local surprise of the night was the defeat of Jonathon Ashworth in Leicester South. Predicted to be a safe Labour win, there were gasps from both the count floor and the press gallery when the results were announced and independent candidate Shockat Adam declared the winner to the shock of everyone present – including himself.

READ MORE:Live Leicestershire General Election results as Labour declares victory

He told LeicestershireLive he was feeling “absolutely overwhelmed, humbled and excited”. He said residents have raised concerns around housing, the cost-of-living crisis, mental health services and youth services with him and addressing those will that he will be “cracking on with” first. When asked by LeicestershireLive if he was expecting to win tonight, he simply said “no”.

Shockat Adam (Image: Shockat Adam)

Another surprise was the Conservative Party bucking national trends in Leicester East with their candidate Shivani Raja storming to victory to chants of “we did it, we did it” and loud cheers. She beat out two former holders of the seat – incumbent Claudia Webbe and Keith Vaz.


She told LeicestershireLive she was “really thrilled with the results” and it was “time for a change” in Leicester East. Things were more sedate in Leicester West where Liz Kendall secured a comfortable win.

Shivani Raja (Image: Leicester Conservatives)

Out in the county, we also have new MPs. North West Leicestershire narrowly avoided a recount as Labour claimed its first MP in 14 years. 

Amanda Hack becomes the constituency's first female MP.

Ms Hack narrowly won with a majority of 1,012 votes. She had gone into the vote feeling she could claim victory and was proven right to loud cheers from her Labour colleagues. Her narrow win saw the Conservatives Craig Smith finish in second, with the pair shaking hands after the result was announced.

The night was one to forget for the now former MP Andrew Bridgen. He finished second to last in the vote, taking in just 1,568 votes. He did not attend the read through of the results.

Amanda Hack is now the MP for North West Leicestershire (Image: Lee Garrett.Leicestershire Live)

In Harborough, Oadby and Wigston, Neil O’Brien defied expectations that he might narrowly lose his seat, securing another five-year term. Mr O’Brien said he was “incredibly relieved and incredibly honoured to be back again”.

He told LeicestershireLive: "I'm feeling incredibly relieved and incredibly honoured to be back again re-elected as the MP for Harborough, Oadby and Wigston and incredibly touched that people have put their faith in me again even on a bad night for us nationally. Clearly, there's massive lessons for us to learn, I'm going to ensure that they are learned.

“I've heard the message loud and clear but I'm really grateful to have been re-elected and tomorrow we carry on with the work and we get cracking again."

Conservative candidate Neil O'Brien

Loughborough also saw a new MP elected in Labour’s Jeevun Sandher, but that result had long been predicted. Loughborough is traditionally regarded as an election bellwether, having reflected the national result in every year since February 1974. He beat out incumbent Jane Hunt.

Mr Sandher said the result 'feels great', adding: "We’ve now crossed the threshold into government. There's a huge amount we have to do at this difficult time."

He added: "In 2019 [we had] our worst defeat in a century, and now the point where we can help change people’s lives."

Mrs Hunt said she was sad at the result, and that she had 'absolutely loved being the member of parliament for Loughborough'. She added that the national result was 'very difficult' because 'a fantastic amount of experience is going out the door tonight'.

Jeevun Sandher – Labour Party

The new constituency of Mid Leicestershire was won by Conservative Peter Bedford, who was initially expected to triumph although a later poll showed Labour's Robert Martin in the lead.

Mr Bedford said he was feeling very tired, but very happy. "It was a very long day, a very long campaign. I was selected ten months ago so I've been knocking on doors for a very long time." He added that he was "humbled that people in Mid Leicestershire have put their trust in [him] as their first MP".

But he admitted it was a difficult night for the Conservative Party nationally, saying: "Being in office for 14 years has taken its toll in terms of members of the public, and we will now have to look at regrouping."

The seat comprises most of the former Charnwood constituency, as well as parts of South Leicestershire and the former Bosworth (now Hinckley and Bosworth) seats.

Peter Bedford (Image: Julia Breens/Leicestershire Live)

Dr Luke Evans secured a comfortable victory in the newly named Hinckley and Bosworth seat to claim his second term as the constituency’s MP. Ed Argar will also be back after winning in the rejigged Melton and Syston seat. Alberto Costa will return in South Leicestershire.

First Labour MP in Rushcliffe for 57 years says 'people have made it very clear'

He said he was 'not surprised' by the result in Ken Clarke's old seat

NEWS
By George Palmer-Soady
Joel Moore

Senior Reporter

5 JUL 2024

James Naish celebrates his victory with his team (Image: Nottingham Post/ Joel Moore)

James Naish says he is “not surprised” after winning the seat of Rushcliffe in the general election, becoming the first Labour MP to do so since 1966. The constituency was formerly held by Conservative Kenneth Clarke from 1970 until 2019, once being seen as one of the safest seats in the country.

More recently, Ruth Edwards was elected in 2019 with a majority of 12.6 per cent. However, this election saw a swing of 12.9 per cent to Labour’s Mr Naish, who currently sits as the leader of Bassetlaw District Council.

Speaking to Nottinghamshire Live, the newly-elected MP said: “We’ve been going out on the doorstep and people have made it very clear that they are ready for change. Of course, Ken Clarke was a huge personality in this area so he undoubtedly held onto this seat as a local MP and I think the tide has gone against Ruth on this occasion, but now we need to move forward.”

Mr Naish, who said he would step down as leader of Bassetlaw council, put Labour’s win in Rushcliffe down to a number of factors, including "demographic changes". In his speech at Rushcliffe Arena in West Bridgford, he praised his predecessor and thanked the former MP for “all her hard work over the past four-and-a-half years,” and said he has “no doubt” that she “will continue to serve this community".

Mrs Edwards, in her closing remarks, was equally graceful to her successor. “You have fought a hard campaign and you’ve done well,” she said, addressing Mr Naish directly.

Newly-elected Rushcliffe Labour MP James Naish

“I really hope you enjoy this as much as I have and I wish you and everyone in Rushcliffe the very best,” she added before leaving the stage. As the count wrapped up in the early hours of Friday morning, the two seemed to share a laugh before Mrs Edwards left the arena with her handbag-carrying husband.

Mr Naish, meanwhile, basked in his glory as he joined Labour party activists in the centre’s lobby. He jubilantly told them “the work starts now".

Below are the full results for each candidate:Ruth Edwards (Conservative) 17,865
James Grice (Reform) 6,353
Lynn Irving (Independent) 549
Richard Mallender (Green) 4,367
James Naish (Labour) 25,291
Harbant Sehra (Independent) 186
Greg Webb (Liberal Democrats) 3,133

Diane Abbott triumphs in Hackney North amid Labour landslide election win


The long-serving popular MP overcame party row that threatened to bar her from standing to win re-election in her constituency

Diane Abbott, Britain’s first Black female MP overcame what her supporters believed were efforts to stop her from standing in the general election to achieve a significant victory (Pic: Getty)

ON A night that saw Labour win a historic landslide victory in the General Election Diane Abbott has retained her seat as the MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington.


The long-serving respected Labour MP won 23,355 votes as she beat Conservative David Landau and Green Party candidate Antoinette Fernandez.

Abbott remains one of the longest-serving MPs in parliament after she was first elected in 1987 becoming the first Black woman to enter the house. Last night’s success marked her 10th election victory in a row as the candidate for the Hackney North constituency.
Statement

Supporters claimed her win made an important statement after a row around whether or not she would be allowed to stand for Labour this time.

Abbott had been suspended from the party last year, after suggesting Jewish, Irish and Traveller people experience prejudice, but not racism “all their lives” – sparking a long-running process which saw her sit as an independent MP.

In May she told the media she had been banned from standing as a Labour MP at the next general election following a months-long internal party investigation into her comments for which had apologised.

However despite Labour announcing that the whip had been restored she said it was her understanding she would not be allowed to stand in the General Election as a Labour MP.
Support

Later, hundreds of supporters gathered outside Hackney Town Hall to express support for her.

The row led to widespread criticism of the Labour leadership and in particular of Sir Keir Starmer on social media platforms leading him to strongly deny she had been barred from contesting the Hackney and Stoke Newington seat as a Labour MP.

Abbott previously served as Shadow Home Secretary during Jeremy Corbyn’s tenure as party leader.

Her victory came amid a Labour landslide election victory which also left the Conservatives almost wiped off the political map in London.

New prime minister Starmer told cheering supporters in central London that “change begins now” adding that “It feels good, I have to be honest.”

Speaking after news of Labour’s win was confirmed Conservative Party leader Rishi Sunak said: “The British people have delivered a sobering verdict tonight, there is much to learn… and I take responsibility for the loss.”

Under Keir Starmer Labour have won more seats than party insiders would ever have thought possible in the wake of the 2019 general election.

POPULAR CANDIDATE: Jovan Owusu-Nepaul

However, according to analysis from BBC News the party performed badly in seats with large numbers of Muslim voters. Labour’s vote is down on average by 10 points in seats where more than 10% of the population identify as Muslim according to the analysis which it says could be a key reason why Labour’s Claudia Webbe lost the long-held seat of Leicester East.

Reform UK

The Conservatives’ loss of votes to Reform UK appeared to cost the party dearly. Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage became the MP for Clacton promising “this is just the first step of something that is going to stun all of you”.

The Clacton contest was overshadowed by anger over Labour’s treatment of rising star Jovan Owusu-Nepaul who was told by party leaders to stop campaigning in the constituency according to a member of his campaign team.

They said the decision left him ‘broken’ and in ‘tears’ leading to accusations that Labour had failed to put up any sort of opposition to Farage.

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



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North West Cambridgeshire elects Britain's youngest MP on night of high drama

By Ben Jones
Published 5th Jul 2024

New North West Cambridgeshire MP Sam Carling will be the youngest MP of the new parliament after his shock win over Shailesh Vara.

22-year-old Carling overturned Mr Vara’s 25,983 majority that he won in the 2019 General Election.

Mr Vara had served at the North West Cambridgeshire since 2005 and fought five successful election campaigns but was not able to defend his seat for a fifth time.

Sam Carling and Shailesh Vara shake hands on stage after the results were announced. Photo: David Lowndes.

Mr Vara’s defeat highlighted what a bad night it was for the Conservatives given that the North West Cambridgeshire seat was previously considered one of the safest seats in the country for the party. The party look set to end the election on their lowest number of seats ever with their numbers set to be under 120.

It could hardly have been closer though as the final result was not announced until a couple of minutes before 6am due to a full recount.

The recount was asked for by Labour after the two candidates were reportedly separated by just 23 votes.

It was the second recount of the night as Paul Bristow had called for a recount in Peterborough less than an hour earlier.

The final result came out as a victory for Carling by a margin of just 39 votes (14,785 to 14,746).

Mr Carling has become only North West Cambridgeshire’s third ever MP and the first non-Conservative MP the constituency has ever had since in was created in 1997.

There were only five candidates but the Reform candidate James Sidlow finished a comfortable third ahead of Bridget Smith of the Liberal Democrats and Green candidate Elliot Tong.

The turnout was 58.76%, which represented an almost 10% from the 2019 turnout figure of 68%. It was also the constituency’s lowest ever turnout figure, with the previous lowest 61.6% in 2005.

The results in full were: Sam Carling (Labour) 14,785, Shailesh Vara (Conservatives) 14,746, James Sidlow (Reform) 8,741, Bridget Smith (Lib Dem) 3,192, Elliot Tong (Green) 2,960.

'Lettuce' Liz Truss loses seat in upset almost as embarrassing as losing to a vegetable

It was a tough night for former PM Liz Truss who lost her safe seat that the Tories had held since 1964, two years since the politician was famously outlasted by the Daily Star lettuce

NEWS
By Robin Cottle

 5 JUL 2024

Liz Truss was famously outlasted by a lettuce (Image: Daily Star)

Disastrous former Prime Minister Liz Truss has lost her safe seat in the General Election.

Truss, who was in number 10 for just 49 days where she was famously outlasted by the Daily Star Lettuce, was ousted from her South West Norfolk seat. Labour's Terry Jermy overturned a huge majority of 26,195 from the last election.

It caps a disastrous two years for the ex-PM, but nothing is impossible when you've been beaten by a leaf vegetable.

Truss has defended her time in the hotseat. She claimed she was "held responsible for decisions that I had no power over".

Liz Truss lost her safe Tory seat (Image: PA)

But the Daily Star was so dissatisfied with her premiership that we pitted her against one of Britain's favourite vegetable to see what would happen first - would she fall on her sword before the vegetable went rotten or vice versa?

In the end it was a comfortable victory for the 60p vegetable, and now her constituents in South Norfolk have also voted with their feet.

It ends 14 years in the seat for Truss and sees the beleaguered Tories lose a seat they have held since 1964.

The result capped a disastrous night for the Conservatives, with Rishi Sunak's party battering at the polls allowing Labour to form a government for the first time since 2010.

It's been a tough few years for the former Prime Minister (Image: PA)

Truss had previously ruled out plans to run for Tory leader again, just last month saying she wanted to concentrate on "being a backbench MP".

Ever magnanimous in defeat, Truss had her say on the triumphant lettuce earlier this year.

She suggested only the "London elite" cared about her being beaten by the Daily Star's vegetable.

Laying into her leafy opponent, she said: "This is just pathetic, you know, point scoring. This is the kind of thing that obsesses the kind of, what I describe as the ‘London elite’. It’s, ‘what do other people think of me, what’s Britain’s international standing’.”

This lettuce proved a worthy adversary for Truss 

(Image: Humphrey Nemar/dailystar)

We'll try not to stick the boot in on what has been a difficult night for the former Prime Minister, but it's good to know the lettuce has got the last laugh (again).

Record number of UK Cabinet ministers defeated in general election


By  AFP
July 5, 2024

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps lost his seat - Copyright POOL/AFP Stefan Rousseau

A record number of Cabinet ministers lost their seats on Friday in Britain’s general election, leaving only a couple of obvious contenders for the party leadership if Rishi Sunak resigns.

Nine members of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s top team failed to be re-elected, beating the previous high of seven who lost out in 1997, as the ruling Conservatives suffered a mauling at the hands of the main opposition Labour party.

Grant Shapps, the UK’s defence secretary for nearly a year, was the most high-profile casualty, losing his Welwyn Hatfield seat north of London.

Leader of the Commons Penny Mordaunt, who shot to international attention as a sword carrier at King Charles III’s coronation last May, lost in Portsmouth North on England’s south coast.

A former defence secretary, she tried twice to become Tory leader, and was tipped to try again after Thursday’s election, with Sunak expected to stand down.

Other Tory casualties included Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, Justice Secretary Alex Chalk, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer, Transport and Science Secretary Michelle Donelan.

Veteran minister Johnny Mercer and Brexit champion Jacob Rees-Mogg also lost out, as voters grew fed up with the Conservatives after 14 years in power.

The defeats have already sparked soul-searching among re-elected and departing Conservatives, who said the party had been punished for a series of scandals and infighting in recent years.

“I think that we have seen in this election an astonishing ill-discipline within the party”, said former Justice Secretary Robert Buckland, after losing his seat.

Shapps, an MP since 2005, criticised the Tories’ “inability to iron out their differences” amid an endless political “soap opera” that saw five prime ministers since the 2016 Brexit vote.

“What is crystal clear to me tonight –- it is not so much that Labour won but that the Conservatives lost,” he added.

Right-winger Suella Braverman, sacked as interior minister by Sunak late last year for a series of incendiary comments, was re-elected and finance minister Jeremy Hunt survived a major scare to squeak victory.

Current interior minister James Cleverly also held on to his seat.

Secretary of State for Business and Trade Kemi Badenoch and security minister Tom Tugendhat also won their races.

Most of those high-profile survivors are expected to challenge for the leadership.

Braverman apologised to voters in her victory speech, saying the Tories had failed to listen to voters.

“The Conservative party let you down… we have got to do better and I will do everything in my power to rebuild trust. We need to listen to you. You have spoken to us very clearly,” she said.

General election turnout on track to be lowest for more than 20 years


Turnout remained above 75% at every post-war general election until 1970, when it dipped to 72.0%

Ian Jones

Joey, the Shih Tzu, waits outside the polling station at St James’ Church, Goldenacre, in Edinburgh (Jane Barlow/PA Wire)


Turnout at the General Election is on track to be the lowest for more than 20 years.

After 630 of 650 results had been declared, the turnout figure stood at 59.8%.

This compares with an overall turnout of 67.3% at the last election in 2019.

If the figure stays around 59.8%, it would be the lowest turnout at a general election since 2001, when it was 59.4%.

Were the figure to fall below 59.4%, it would rank as the lowest turnout at a general election since the Second World War.

The highest turnout at a general election since the war was 83.9% in 1950, according to figures compiled by the House of Commons Library.

Turnout remained above 75% at every post-war general election until 1970, when it dipped to 72.0%.

It then stayed above 70% at every election until plunging to 59.4% in 2001 – since when it has never been above 70%.

Sir Keir Starmer will be the UK’s new Labour prime minister after a Conservative rout saw former premier Liz Truss and 11 serving Cabinet members lose their seats.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer speaks to supporters at a watch party for the results of the 2024 General Election in central London (Jeff Moore/PA Wire)

Outgoing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he took responsibility for the electoral mauling inflicted on his party as it suffered its worst ever result.

On a dramatic night:

– Ms Truss lost to Labour in Norfolk South West, where she had been defending a notional majority of more than 24,000.

– Eleven ministers who sat around the Cabinet table were ousted, comfortably exceeding the previous record of seven set in 1997


– Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps, Welsh Secretary David TC Davies, Transport Secretary Mark Harper, Attorney General Victoria Prentis and veterans minister Johnny Mercer lost to Labour.

– Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, Justice Secretary Alex Chalk, Science Secretary Michelle Donelan and Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer lost to the Liberal Democrats.

– Chief whip Simon Hart lost to Plaid Cymru.

– Tory deputy chairman Jonathan Gullis and former cabinet minister Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg were beaten by Labour.

– But party chairman Richard Holden won by just 20 votes in Basildon and Billericay and outgoing Chancellor Jeremy Hunt held off a Lib Dem challenge in Godalming and Ash.


– Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn held on to his seat as an independent.

– Reform UK leader Nigel Farage won a Commons seat at his eighth attempt and promised his party would “stun all of you” as it picked up four Commons seats.


– The Greens also picked up four seats, including co-leader Carla Denyer defeating shadow culture secretary Thangam Debbonaire in Bristol Central.

– Shadow paymaster general Jonathan Ashworth, who played a prominent role in the party’s media campaign, lost his seat to an independent as Labour’s stance on Gaza cost them votes.

Surprise winners and losers in UK general election, from Greens to Reform UK

Rowena Mason

THE GUARDIAN
Fri, 5 July 2024 

Jeremy Corbyn gives a speech after being declared winner of Islington North.

Photograph: Jon Rowley/EPA


Beyond the astonishing scale of Labour’s overall victory, general election night 2024 was a night of shock results, big swings and unexpected upsets. Here are the most surprising winners and losers.

Surprise winners


Jeremy Corbyn, independent
The former Labour leader decided to contest his long-held Islington North seat after being barred from standing by Labour. The campaign was thought to be on a knife-edge, but Corbyn ended up winning convincingly with a majority of more than 7,000. The veteran politician benefited from a large personal following in the seat and his stance on opposing Israel’s war in Gaza. The Labour candidate, Praful Nargund, had been criticised locally over his links to the private health industry.

Adrian Ramsay, Green party co-leader, in Waveney
Ramsay had not been expected to take the coastal seat of Waveney Valley, which straddles Suffolk and Norfolk. The seat had new boundaries but covered areas held by Conservatives for decades. Ramsay performed well at the television debate earlier in the campaign and had worked the area hard. Across the board, the Greens had a spectacularly good night by the standards of a minor party, which has struggled to break through the electoral system in previous elections. It also took a seat from Labour, ousting shadow cabinet minister Thangam Debonnaire in Bristol Central, while in North Herefordshire the Green candidate, Ellie Chowns, was a surprise winner. The party won in Brighton Pavilion, former seat of Caroline Lucas, with a victory for the former party leader Siân Berry.

Richard Tice, chair and donor to Reform UK
A victory for Nigel Farage in Clacton was priced in since he announced he would stand last month. But Tice’s chances in Boston and Skegness, one of the safest Conservative seats in the country, were much less assured. He ousted a centrist Tory, Matt Warman, by about 2,000 votes. Reform’s performance was not as good as the 13 MPs that the exit poll suggested but it still made remarkable progress, winning four seats. Along with Farage and Tice, the party won in Great Yarmouth, and retained Lee Anderson’s seat in Ashfield after he defected from the Conservatives earlier this year.

Surprise losers

Liz Truss
The former prime minister was not widely expected to lose her South West Norfolk seat. However, she appears to have been punished for her disastrous seven-week tenure in No 10, which caused a crash in the financial markets. She was also caught up in wider swings across traditionally Tory East Anglia against the Conservatives and towards Labour, the Greens and Reform. Her majority of 26,000 was overturned, with Labour taking the seat by a slender margin. Other current and former cabinet ministers to lose their seats included Thérèse Coffey, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Gillian Keegan, Mark Harper, Grant Shapps, Penny Mordaunt, David TC Davies, and Alex Chalk.

Jonathan Ashworth
The biggest and most shocking casualty for Labour of the night was its election campaign coordinator, Jonathan Ashworth. Few had predicted he would lose his Leicester South seat to the independent pro-Gaza candidate Shockat Adam. “This is for Gaza,” Adam said at the count. Another independent candidate made a surprise gain in Dewsbury and Batley, denying a seat to Labour’s Heather Iqbal, a former adviser to Rachel Reeves. The seat was won by Iqbal Mohamed, who campaigned on ending the war in Gaza. The Labour MP Kate Hollern was also ousted in Blackburn by independent Adnan Hussain.

Ian Paisley Jr
The Democratic Unionist (DUP) party stalwart was replaced in North Antrim by Jim Allister, a candidate from the TUV, an even more pro-unionist party backed by Reform UK. The seat had been held by his family since 1970. It was a difficult night overall for the DUP, which has suffered following the Brexit deal that has proven unpopular in Northern Ireland, and its former leader Jeffrey Donaldson facing trial on 18 sexual offence charges. It is on track to lose three of its eight seats, which would leave Sinn Féin as the Northern Ireland party with most MPs.

Wales' 13 new MPs after General Election 2024

Labour has won 27 of Wales' 32 seats and wiped out all the Conservatives in Wales

NEWS
By Ruth Mosalski

Political Editor

5 JUL 2024

Nine of Wales' 13 new MPs at this election

Labour has won the general election although its vote share did go down in Wales. Labour wiped out the Conservatives in Wales and 27 of the total 32 constituencies are represented by Labour.

Plaid Cymru had what the party's leader called a "stunning" night taking four seats, double the number expected at the beginning of the campaign. They now have MPs representing Dwyfor Meirionnydd, Ceredigion Preseli, Ynys Mon and Caerfyrddin.

The Conservatives had a disastrous night with five secretaries of state for Wales losing their seats, four who were standing in Wales.

READ MORE: General Election 2024 results live in Wales as Labour wins landslide but Plaid take key seats

Bangor Aberconwy

Claire Hughes - Labour

Claire Hughes (Image: Mike Plunkett)

The 45-year-old was born in Bangor, grew up in Penmaenmawr and live in Llanfairfechan with her family and two teenage kids. She has spent her career before politics working in the digital sector, mostly with start-ups in the technology and innovation space. Ms Hughes previously started and run a training business helping hundreds of people start a small business. Also a published author, she says she loves spending time outdoors, walking while listening to a podcast, or a power-walk with friends.

You can see the full results from the constituency here.

Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe:

David Chadwick - Liberal Democrat

David Chadwick (Image: Welsh Liberal Democrats)

David lives in Brecon with his wife Gemma and young son William. He is a consultant in cybersecurity and became interested in politics when his grandfather took him to see the steelworks in Port Talbot to see what it was like to work in a blast furnace saying it showed him the link between industry and politics.

The full results are here.

Cardiff West

Alex Barros-Curtis - Labour

Alex Barros-Curtis (Image: Labour Party)

The first time MP for this constituency is Labour's Alex Barros-Curtis. Born and brought up in north Wales, he went to Gronant Primary School and Prestatyn High School, with some time spent in St. Asaph as a member of its Cathedral Male Voice Choir.

His mum was a teacher and my and dad a police officer.

He moved to London to study law at the London School of Economics and qualified at one of the world’s largest law firms and has worked for charities and organisations, as well as the Labour Party as its principal legal adviser.

He is a Liverpool FC and music fan and loves music. He very nearly trained to become a professional pianist instead of a lawyer. The full results are here.

Caerfyrddin

Ann Davies - Plaid Cymru

Ann Davies (Image: PA)

Born and bred in Carmarthenshire, she farms in Llanarthne with husband Gareth. She's been county councillor for Llanddarog Ward since 2017 and cabinet member since 2021.

A former lecturer in early years learning at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, she's also been a peripatetic music teacher and is now the joint owner of a local children’s nursery.

In her spare time, she volunteers at the local village hall, and is county chair for a farming union.

Clwyd East

Becky Gittins - Labour

Becky Gittins (Image: Mike Plunkett)

Born at Glan Clwyd and raised in Bagillt, the 29-year-old was educated at Flint High and the Alun School, Mold, and now lives in Pentre Halkyn with her husband and dog.

After university, she trained as an accountant and worked in finance and has also served as a councillor. Her job before election was as a trade union negotiator.

You can see all the details of the result here.

Clwyd North

Gill German - Labour

Gill German (Image: Mike Plunkett)

Brought up locally and with two children, she was a local teacher for over 20 years. She says she entered politics because she says she saw life getting more and more difficult for families.

She is the current deputy leader of Denbighshire County Council and cabinet member for education, children and families.

The full results are here.

Monmouthshire

Catherine Fookes - Labour

Catherine Fookes (Image: Nathan Roach)

A mum to two boys she says she's been involved in her local community for decades, most recently as a councillor and school governor. A former chief executive of charity Women's Equality Network. She served as a board member on the Food and Drink Wales Industry Board, helping to grow and promote the industry in Wales. Before that, she advised the UK Government on organic food and farming as well as working as a campaigner for an environmental charity.

She set up the Children's Food Academy at Abergavenny Food Festival, providing children with free cookery sessions. She enjoys going to her sons' gigs, popping into her local pub and walking Beanie, the family dog.

All the result detail is here.

Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr

Stephen Witherden - Labour

Steve Witherden (Image: Nathan Roach)

Born in Wrexham and brought up in Llantysilio and Llangollen, he lives in Acrefair. He studied at Lampeter and Aberystwyth University. He married his wife, an NHS worker, 14 years ago. They have two children. He has been a teacher in Wrexham for 18 years and has a number of union roles.

Pembrokeshire Mid and South

Henry Tufnell - Labour

Henry Tufnell (Image: Nathan Roach)

Henry Tufnell, 30, lives in St Davids and grew up in a farming family. He trained and practised as a barrister, specialising in healthcare, public and employment law, before leaving to work as an organiser for a grassroots trade union.

You can see the results page here.

Swansea West

Torsten Bell - Labour

Torsten Bell (Image: Labour Party)


Aged 41, Torsten Bell is married with two children. He is a fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences, school governor, and an honorary professor at UCL. He also has a weekly column in The Observer. His dad formerly taught at Swansea University, before spending decades working at Save the Children. He has been an economist in the Treasury during the financial crisis and trustee of the Child Poverty Action Group.

For the decade before standing for election, he led the Resolution Foundation, a national economic research charity dedicated to improving the lives of working people through better jobs, affordable housing and a more equal country

Vale of Glamorgan
Kanishka Narayan - Labour

Kanishka Narayan (Image: Labour Party)

Growing up in Cardiff, the 34-year-old's parents worked in hospitality and then as lawyers, he now lives in Barry. He trained as an economist and advised ministers on economics as senior adviser at the Cabinet Office and then as expert adviser to Britain’s environment secretary. He then worked in the private sector, advising FTSE boards, government finance ministries, and climatetech entrepreneurs on managing their balance sheets.

He volunteers for Citizens Advice, Trussell Trust, a mentoring scheme to help children into academia and job opportunities. He says he likes reading history and philosophy and walking.

The full detail of results is here.

Wrexham
Andrew Ranger - Labour

Andrew Ranger (Image: Mike Plunkett)

The 53-year-old moved to Wrexham 25 years ago. Following a 27-year career in the hospitality industry, starting as a kitchen porter, and finishing as a hotel general Manager, he then became an accountant.

A community councillor he says he enjoys travelling as well as going to music concerts, the theatre, and is an avid reader – especially of science fiction and fantasy novels.

Ynys Mon

Llinos Medi - Plaid Cymru

Llinos Medi (Image: Plaid Cymru)

The first ever female leader of Ynys Mon council, Llinos Medi was first elected as a councillor in 2013 and re-elected in 2017, becoming leader aged 35. She is divorced and has two children.

You can read the full results here.

Ben Lake wins Ceredigion Preseli for Plaid Cymru


Published  July 5, 2024
By Tom Sinclair



BEN LAKE has been re-elected as the Member of Parliament for Ceredigion Preseli, securing Plaid Cymru’s hold on the seat in tonight’s election.

Ben retained his seat with a total of 21,738 votes, outperforming the Liberal Democrats and Labour. This marks the third consecutive election victory for Lake, who first claimed the seat from Liberal Democrat Mark Williams in 2017 and successfully defended it against Conservative Aled Thomas in 2019.

In his victory speech, Ben expressed his gratitude, stating: “I would like to thank everybody including my competitors who have been part of a great campaign.”

The full election results for Ceredigion Preseli are as follows:

Ceredigion Preseli results

Plaid Cymru,Ben LakeVotes 21,738
Share 46.9%
Share change +15.8
Liberal Democrat,Mark WilliamsVotes 6,949
Share 15.0%
Share change +0.4
Labour,Jackie JonesVotes 5,386
Share 11.6%
Share change -9.2
Reform UK,Karl PollardVotes 5,374
Share 11.6%
Share change +7.6
Conservative,Aled ThomasVotes 4,763
Share 10.3%
Share change -18.0
Green,Tomos BarlowVotes 1,864
Share 4.0%
Share change +2.7
Workers Party of Britain,Taghrid Al-MawedVotes 228
Share 0.5%
Share change +0.5

Mark Williams, who came second for the Liberal Democrats, commented: “It’s better than coming third. Second this time. It was a positive campaign and I’m very grateful for all the votes. Clearly Ben won an emphatic victory and deserves praise.

“Many issues are unresolved, however, and me and my party will continue to campaign on them.”