As it happened: New UK government 'restless for change' says Starmer

With all 650 results declared the shape of the new Parliament and the personnel in the Labour-led government is known.

It ends with the lowest ever number of Conservative MPs, 121, the most Liberal MPs for more than a century, 72, and the third best Labour performance, 412.

Overall turnout at the general election was 59.9 per cent - down sharply from 67.3 per cent at the last election in 2019.

It was the lowest turnout at a general election since 2001 and the second lowest since the Second World War.

Despite that, Keir Starmer was able to secure a landslide victory as people voted the Tories out.

The incoming prime minister has told ministers: “The whole country was looking to the government to deliver on their priorities.”

Speaking at a press conference in Downing Street, Mr Starmer said he will travel to Washington for the Nato summit on Tuesday and he has already spoken to a number of world leaders since taking office.

The Prime Minister said he spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy yesterday, adding the UK will continue to support Ukraine.

He also said the Rwanda deportation scheme, which he has scrapped, “has never been a deterrent” to illegal migration.

Read more

"We have a huge amount to do, so now we get on with our work," said Mr Starmer.

Keir Starmer has announced six extra cabinet names. They are:

• Ellie Reeves as minister without portfolio
• Dan Jarvis MBE as a Home Office minister
• Jim McMahon as a levelling up minister
• Matthew Pennycook as a levelling up minister 
• Douglas Alexander as a business and trade minister 
• Jacqui Smith as an education minister. She will also be made a peer.

Keir Starmer declared “self-interest” as “yesterday's politics”, adding that he was "restless for change" but it will take time.

"We have got plans in place. I did not want to get ahead of the election result but we have been planning for months to hit the ground running,” the Prime Minister said, talking about domestic politics.

He said he would approach the challenges with a "raw honesty" but insisted that was "not a sort of prelude to saying there's some tax decision that we didn't speak about before".

Mr Starmer said the Rwanda deportation scheme, which he has scrapped, "has never been a deterrent" to illegal migration.

"Look at the numbers that have come over in the first six and a bit months of this year, they are record numbers, that is the problem that we are inheriting," he added.

Mr Starmer said he will tour the four nations to "establish a way of working across the United Kingdom" that will be different from in recent years and "to recognise the contributions of all four nations".

Former Labour foreign secretary Margaret Beckett said she was “angry” and “sad” after the defeat of some of the party's candidates because of its stance on Gaza.

Britain's governing party suffered an erosion of support in Muslim communities, leading to the loss of several safe Labour seats. 

Ms Beckett told BBC World Service's Weekend programme on Saturday: "I could despair at hearing well-meaning people talking such nonsense about how 'to help the people in Gaza, I will do X, Y and Z', when it will make not a scrap, not an atom of difference to any individual in Gaza - or indeed to the pursuit of peace in Gaza.

"It makes me angry, actually, not just sad, to hear nonsense talked and then well-meaning people make silly mistakes and put somebody in place who will have no effect at all, in place of somebody who could be a very effective actor in the pursuit of peace."

She said she hoped the new government will be "getting involved behind the scenes" to push for a two-state solution.

Labour leader Keir Starmer has come in for particular criticism after suggesting Israel had the right to cut off food and power to Gaza early in the war, in comments he later walked back.

Angus MacDonald has won in Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire, giving the Liberal Democrats the final seat in the general election.

The seat contains part of the old constituency of Charles Kennedy, who was leader of the Liberal Democrats from 1999 to 2006.

The win takes the Lib Dems to 72 seats.

With all votes now counted, Labour has 412 MPs, compared to the Conservatives’ 121 – the lowest number in the party's history.

Transport Secretary Louise Haigh was next. Asked by reporters when railways would be renationalised, Ms Haigh replied: "As soon as possible."

She was followed by Science Secretary Peter Kyle and Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, who said the new government had "a lot to get on with".

Attorney General Richard Hermer followed into No 10 shortly afterwards, trailed by Energy Secretary Ed Miliband and Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, who arrived at Downing Street together.

Mr Miliband told reporters: "It's good to be back."

Seconds later, Foreign Secretary David Lammy appeared and met his fellow ministers before entering No 10.

The ministers were holding red government folders. The meeting will begin at 11am.

A recount in the remaining undeclared seat of the election will begin shortly, amid reports the Scottish National Party candidate has conceded defeat.

The result of the contest in Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire is undecided, despite the initial count on Thursday night and a recount on Friday.

A further recount is scheduled to begin at 10.30am, with the SNP's Drew Hendry and Liberal Democrat candidate Angus MacDonald in a tight race.

Mr Hendry has conceded defeat ahead of the count, according to reports.

The seat is expected to become the Lib Dems' sixth in Scotland and a further blow to the SNP in what has been a bruising election for the party.

If successful, Mr MacDonald will become the 72nd Lib Dem MP in parliament. 

Labour’s strength in the Commons following the party’s landslide win is “heavily exaggerated,” according to John Curtice, one of Britain’s leading polling experts.

Only 24 per cent of voters backed the Conservatives in Thursday’s nationwide poll, leaving them with just 121 seats.

However, despite its large majority, Labour only received 35 per cent of the votes, amid a fall in turnout to 60 per cent, the second lowest figure since 1885. The drop was particularly sharp in seats where Labour polled best in 2019, said Mr Curtice.

“Indeed, never before has a party been able to form a majority government on so low a share of the vote,” he added, writing in The Times.

Voters have rejected the Conservatives, but have also failed to embrace Labour, he said.

“In the most disproportional electoral outcome in British electoral history, Labour’s strength in the new House of Commons is a heavily exaggerated reflection of the party’s limited popularity in the country,” said Mr Curtice. 

Mr Starmer spent his first hours in Downing Street on Friday appointing his ministerial team, hours after Labour's return to power with a 174-seat majority in parliament.

He is expected to hold his first Cabinet meeting on Saturday at 11am London time, with Britain's first woman Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves and Foreign Secretary David Lammy in attendance.

Other Cabinet members include Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, and Darren Jones, who was made Chief Secretary to the Treasury, the finance ministry’s No 2. 

Mr Starmer also installed figures with expertise in the House of Lords to take up ministerial positions. Patrick Vallance, who helped steer the UK through the coronavirus pandemic as the government’s chief scientific adviser, was named a minister in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, while James Timpson - who as chief executive of shoe repair company Timpson has advocated for the employment and rehabilitation of prisoners, was named minister for prisons, parole and probation. 

Prime Minister Keir Starmer began his premiership with telephone calls to leaders including Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“The Prime Minister began by setting out that it was important to him to reiterate the UK’s unwavering commitment to Ukraine on his first day in office," a Downing Street spokeswoman said.

“He added that the change of government in the UK would make no difference to the UK’s support for Ukraine, and that the UK would continue supplying the defensive support Ukraine needed in the face of Russian aggression.”

He has also spoken to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and discussed co-operation between the UK and EU.

New Health Secretary Wes Streeting has admitted that Labour's handling of Gaza had cost him votes after his majority was cut from 9,000 to 528.

Pro-Palestine independent candidate Leanne Mohamad took 32.2 per cent of the vote. 

Mr Streeting says he knows he "lost trust over the issue of Gaza" and that was reflected in the result. 

"I'm determined to regain that trust, to rebuild that trust with my community." 

Sinn Fein, the party that campaigns for a united Ireland, has become Northern Ireland's largest party at Westminster.

The party does not take seats in the London parliament but becoming the largest winner is also a milestone.

"Sinn Fein has made history yet again by being returned as the largest party in the North, in seats, vote percentage and votes," said Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald.

"The message of the people of the north of Ireland to the British government tonight is that change is happening, it is time to plan, it is time to prepare for a new future together on this island. The people have spoken."

The Democratic Unionists won five seats, the Social Democratic and Labour Party won two, while the Ulster Unionists, the centrist Alliance Party, True Unionist Voice and an independent won one seat each.

Patrick Vallance, who was chief scientific adviser to the government during the Covid-19 pandemic, has been appointed Minister for Science.

US President Joe Biden has congratulated Keir Starmer and said he looks forward to "further strengthening the special relationship" with the UK.

Mr Biden tweeted: "I look forward to our shared work in support of freedom and democracy around the world, and to further strengthening the special relationship between our two countries."

The Prime Minister also spoke to Mr Biden on Friday afternoon.

“The leaders discussed their shared commitment to the special relationship between the UK and US, and their aligned ambitions for greater economic growth," Downing Street said.

“Discussing geopolitical challenges, the leaders reiterated their steadfast commitment to Ukraine and the prime minister underscored that the UK’s support for Ukraine was unwavering.

“The prime minister said he looked forward to working side by side across the breadth of the relationship, including the Aukus partnership and ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific."

The leaders reflected on their shared commitment to protecting the gains of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement.

“The Prime Minister and President looked forward to seeing each other at the Nato Summit in Washington next week,” Downing Street added.

Shares exposed to the British domestic economy rallied after Labour’s landslide victory.

The domestic-heavy FTSE 250 Index was up 0.7 per cent at the close in London, trimming an earlier advance of 1.8 per cent as money managers said they expect the Labour Party under Keir Starmer will usher in calmer and more moderate policy.

Investors are betting that the Labour Party’s win will lead to political stability that could support economic growth.

“Overall, the picture is one of stability,” said Georgina Hamilton, a portfolio manager at Polar Capital. “There’s potential for a more constructive relationship with the EU, which could unlock some business investment that has lagged since Brexit.” 

Foreign Secretary David Lammy will be plunged into the Middle East crises with the looming threat of a war between Israel and Hezbollah, as well as the unresolved Gaza situation and Iran.

John Healey, Defence Secretary, will also be briefed on security and almost certainly the question of preparedness among the armed forces.

“David Lammy has been very active over the last year meeting foreign leaders and forging relationships,” said foreign affairs specialist Prof Anand Menon, of London University. “He’s been quite active in introducing Keir Starmer into those relationships.”

“Starmer has deliberately set David Lammy up as the proponent of calm, rational reasonable government,” Prof Menon added.

That will be required if, as analysts have stated, the new Labour government seeks to take the initiative in resolving the Israel-Gaza war.

Read more

- PA

Speaking from the Foreign Office, David Lammy said he wants to see “an immediate ceasefire” in the Israel-Gaza conflict.

“I will do all I can diplomatically to support Joe Biden in bringing about that ceasefire."

“All of us recognise the agony of communities who have seen the scenes coming out of Israel and Gaza," he added.

"But the job now is to get to work with tireless diplomacy to support an immediate ceasefire and move towards getting those hostages out.”

Asked by reporters if he would be willing to work with Donald Trump should he be re-elected, Mr Lammy said: “I will work closely with whoever is in the White House in the end. The US is a great democracy.

“In democracies, of course, there is debate and discussion and difference.

“We’ve seen that over the last six weeks in our own country, but the job of international security, the key partnership role that the UK and US play is hugely important.”