LONDON
\nEvents unfolded in the UK at breakneck pace on Friday, the day after the general election. After the overnight scramble for results, the day began with Labour\u2019s overwhelming 412-seat majority in the 650-member House of Commons becoming clear.
\nThis prompted a concession speech from outgoing PM Rishi Sunak, who made a bee-line for Buckingham Palace to submit his resignation. He had already announced his intention to step down as head of the Conservative Party.
\nSpeaking outside Downing Street for the last time, he said: \u201cI have heard your anger, disappointment and I take responsibility for this loss.\u201d
\nShortly afterwards, Keir Starmer met with King Charles III, where he accepted the ceremonial offer to form the next government.
\nEnveloped in a blanket of security as he exited the palace and made his way to Downing Street, the newly minted premier promised a government of service: \u201cThe work of change begins immediately.\u201d
\nNew cabinet
\nThere were few surprises as the UK cabinet began to take shape. Mr Starmer\u2019s aide Angela Rayner got the coveted office of deputy PM, while Rachel Reeves is set to make history as the first woman to be chancellor of the exchequer.
\nDavid Lammy was made foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper was named home secretary, while the defence portfolio was handed to John Healey. Former Labour leader Ed Miliband received the energy portfolio.
\nOne of the first Muslim women to become MPs in 2010, Shabana Mahmood, has been appointed justice secretary.
\nTory winners and losers
\nIt was an embarrassing exit for the Tory party, slumping to just 121 seats, and leaders such as former PM Liz Truss and ex-House of Commons leader Penny Mordaunt being ousted by Labour candidates.
\nAccording to Reuters, Conservatives won the fewest seats since the party was founded in 1834.
\nOutgoing Defence Secretary Grant Shapps became the most senior cabinet minister to lose his seat, BBC News reported, while many of his colleagues, such as veterans\u2019 minister Johnny Mercer, education secretary Gillian Keegan, culture secretary Lucy Frazer and Mr Sunak\u2019s chief whip Simon Hart, also failed to make it back to the house.
\nSenior Conservative back-bencher and Brexiteer Jacob-Rees Mogg also lost his seat. However, former home secretary Suella Braverman and her successor James Cleverly managed to avoid the same fate.
\nNigel Farage, the divisive face of Reform UK, won a seat in his eighth attempt and will now enter parliament for the first time as his party claimed four seats in the lower house.<\/p>\n
Setbacks for Labour
\nJeremy Corbyn, who Keir Starmer replaced as leader of the Labour party, won as an independent, beating his Labour opponent by more than 7,000 votes. Mr Corbyn, who was drummed out of his party over allegations of anti-Semitism, is a stanch supporter of the Gaza cause.
\nLabour leader Jonathan Ashworth, who served as Mr Starmer\u2019s shadow paymaster general, lost his Leicester South constituency to independent candidate Shockat Adam. The seat has a significant Muslim population and a large part of Mr Adam\u2019s campaign focused on the situation in Gaza.
\nThere were also some extremely close calls: New Health Secretary Wes Streeting was very close to losing to Leanne Mohamad, winning with a majority of just over 500.
\nIn addition, a Green Party candidate defeated Thangam Debbonaire, who held the culture portfolio in Mr Starmer\u2019s shadow cabinet.
\nVeteran left-wing political maverick George Galloway, who returned to the Commons in a by-election just months ago, was also beaten.
\nBut it was a Red Letter Day for the Liberal Democrats, who became the third largest party in the Commons, securing 71 seats.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
LONDON Events unfolded in the UK at breakneck pace on Friday, the day after the general election. After the overnight scramble for results, the day began with Labour\u2019s overwhelming 412-seat majority in the 650-member House of Commons becoming clear. This prompted a concession speech from outgoing PM Rishi Sunak, who made a bee-line for Buckingham […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":416917,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-416899","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n