“We did it!”, Starmer, the Labor leader and incoming prime minister, said in his victory speech. “Change begins now.”
Outgoing Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak concedes defeat, saying it has been a “difficult night”.
There was a surge in support for the Liberal Democrats, while the populist right wing Reform UK party picked up support from disgruntled Conservative voters to win a clutch of parliamentary seats, Al Jazeera reported.
The Scottish National Party had what party leader John Swinney called a “very poor result” losing dozens of seats.
Key issues for voters in the UK included the cost of living, the health service and housing.
Labor have won more than 400 out of the 650 seats in the Commons -the Conservatives are on just over 110. The Lib Dems make big gains, while the SNP lose most of their seats.
The Labor leader, who was addressing supporters in London, acknowledged the “great responsibility” of his mandate and pledged to “govern for every single person” in the UK.