UK general election 2024 results: Five key takeaways

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Britons person handed Keir Starmer’s Labour Party astir two-thirds of nan seats successful nan UK Parliament’s 650-seat House of Commons successful what has been described arsenic an “historic” general election pursuing 14 years of norm by nan Conservative Party.

Here are immoderate cardinal takeaways from nan results of Thursday’s election.

1. A Tory wipe-out

The Conservative Party, led by erstwhile Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, was subjected to its worst nonaccomplishment successful history.

The statement has mislaid 250 seats since nan past wide predetermination successful 2019, having won a full of 121 seats this year. Eleven Conservative furniture ministers were unseated this election.

The Conservative ballot share plunged by 20 percent points since 2019 to conscionable 24 percent, arsenic supporters switched successful their droves to Reform UK, nan far-right statement led by Nigel Farage.

Prominent Tories who mislaid their seats see erstwhile Prime Minister Liz Truss, Commons leader Penny Mordaunt and erstwhile furniture curate Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg.

2. Reform fever takes hold, propelling Farage to Parliament

Farage’s far-right Reform UK statement made inroads.

It won four seats, nary mini accomplishment for a start-up party, and was supported by 14 percent of voters overall. This is  a emergence of 12.3 percent points since nan past election, erstwhile it was known arsenic nan Brexit Party.

The statement besides drew support successful immoderate seats it did not win, securing 2nd spot successful Dover and Deal, and 3rd successful Folkestone and Hythe, Tunbridge Wells, Dartford and Sevenoaks among others.

The emergence of nan anti-immigration acold correct group is of awesome interest to taste number Britons and marginalised communities. Several Reform candidates were suspended up of nan predetermination because they were recovered to person made racist comments online.

Meanwhile, nan predetermination is simply a dream travel existent for Farage, who’s yet heading to nan House of Commons arsenic a Member of Parliament to connected his eighth attempt.

His constituency, Clacton-on-Sea, removed nan Conservative incumbent Giles Watling who had held nan spot since 2017 by a sizeable margin. Farage won 21,225 votes against Watling’s 12,820.

The president of Reform UK, Richard Tice, won Boston and Skegness successful Lincolnshire and Rupert Lowe, erstwhile president of Southampton shot club, took Great Yarmouth from nan Conservative Party, which had held nan constituency for nan full 14 years of nan party’s clip successful government.

No 1 tin uncertainty Labour’s victory, successful position of nan number of seats it seized. It made landmark inroads, specified arsenic nan party’s Tony Vaughan taking Folkestone and Hythe which nan Tories had held since 1950. Cities of London and Westminster changed hands to Labour for nan first time.

But nan centre-left party’s wide stock of nan ballot roseate by little than 2 percent points.

Despite taking 64 percent of nan seats, nan statement only won 34 percent of nan existent vote.

In 2019, erstwhile nan statement was led by Jeremy Corbyn, whose debased fame was blamed for Labour’s losses, ballot stock was only somewhat little – astatine 32 percent.

Thursday’s ballot was marred by debased turnout. Sixty percent of voters formed a vote, a autumn from nan 67 percent successful 2019. This is nan second-lowest elector turnout, which usually exceeds 65 percent, for a wide predetermination since 1885.

“In galore ways, this looks much for illustration an predetermination nan Conservatives person mislaid than 1 Labour has won,” wrote John Curtice, professor of authorities astatine nan University of Strathclyde, for nan BBC.

4. Pro-Palestine independents situation nan system. Five win, but Galloway falls

Five pro-Palestine independents won seats arsenic Israel’s warfare connected Gaza emerged arsenic a cardinal rumor for nan UK’s voters.

Corbyn held his Islington North spot arsenic an independent candidate. Shockat Adam successful Leicester South, Ayoub Khan successful Birmingham Perry Barr, Adnan Hussain successful Blackburn and Iqbal Mohamed successful Dewsbury and Batley each won seats.

“This is for nan group of Gaza,” Adam said aft he was announced arsenic nan winner.

These contenders each defeated Labour incumbents.

Neither nan Conservative nor Labour person called for an contiguous ceasefire. They some backmost what they telephone Israel’s “right to self-defence”, causing discontent among pro-Palestine and Muslim voters.

On nan different hand, nan leader of nan left-wing Workers Party of Britain, George Galloway, mislaid nan Rochdale spot that he won successful a by-election successful February by campaigning against nan Gaza war. He was unseated by Labour’s Paul Waugh.

5. Lib Dems shape a comeback

Ed Davey’s Liberal Democrat party, which is near of centre, won 71 seats – a monolithic 63 much than successful 2019.

Since 2010, erstwhile nan Liberal Democrats formed a conjugation pinch nan Conservative Party successful bid to alteration nan Tories to shape a government, having not won a mostly of seats, nan fame of nan Lib Dems has declined. This year, however, voters look to person returned to support them.

The statement won immoderate captious seats, including Chichester, which was antecedently held by Conservative Education Secretary Gillian Keegan. Lib Dem personnel Jess Brown-Fuller won nan spot pinch a mostly of 12,146.

The statement besides won nan Lewes spot successful a notional summation from nan Conservatives aft bound changes. James MacCleary won pinch 50.6 percent of nan votes, taking nan spot from erstwhile Conservative wellness curate Maria Caulfield who won conscionable 26.8 percent.

All eyes are now connected Starmer, but besides nan opposition. The Conservatives are not utilized to being successful nan shadows and they now person immoderate caller opponents to woody with.


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