Sir Keir Starmer will be the UK’s next prime minister after Rishi Sunak admitted defeat in the face of a Labour landslide.
Several high-profile Conservatives lost their seats, including former UK prime minister Liz Truss, prominent Brexiteer Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg and former defence secretary Grant Shapps.
Sunak said voters had delivered a “sobering verdict” on his party after 14 years in power.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said people around the country had declared they were “ready for change”.
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- The DUP has suffered a bruising set of election results in the North with the party suffering a seismic shock when Ian Paisley lost his seat, while Sinn Féin is the largest party in a Westminster election for the first time after holding all of its seven seats.
- The Alliance Party’s Sorcha Eastwood also had a historic result as she triumphed in the unionist stronghold of Lagan Valley – the seat formerly held by DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson.
- The Paisley family has held the North Antrim seat for more than 50 years, but that legacy has come to an end with the victory of TUV leader Jim Allister in the unionist heartland.
- Rishi Sunak shouldered the burden for a “sobering verdict” at the UK general election, as competing Tory factions began their battle over the diminished party’s future.
1.20pm
The UK’s new prime minister Sir Keir Starmer promised to rebuild trust in politics and restore hope to the nation after a landslide Labour victory in the British general election.
In his first speech in Downing Street, Mr Starmer said the British people had voted “decisively for change”.
Mr Starmer said the country could “move forward together” as Labour took office following 14 years of Conservative rule.
He said: “Now our country has voted decisively for change, for national renewal and a return of politics to public service.
“When the gap between the sacrifices made by people and the service they receive from politicians grows this big, it leads to a weariness in the heart of a nation, a draining away of the hope, the spirit, the belief in a better future.
“But we need to move forward together. Now this wound, this lack of trust can only be healed by actions not words, I know that.
“But we can make a start today with the simple acknowledgement that public service is a privilege and that your government should treat every single person in this country with respect.”
12.33pm
Sir Keir Starmer has become UK prime minister after a Labour landslide which saw former prime minister Liz Truss and a dozen Tory cabinet members lose their seats.
The Conservative rout saw Rishi Sunak forced out of office and the ex-prime minister announced his intention to quit as Tory leader after the party suffered its worst ever result.
Mr Starmer became UK prime minister after meeting Britain's King Charles at Buckingham Palace following the resignation of Mr Sunak.
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11am
Rishi Sunak has apologised after leading the Conservatives to their worst ever election result as a Labour landslide swept Sir Keir Starmer to No 10.
The outgoing UK prime minister said he would quit as Tory leader once arrangements are in place to choose his successor, potentially triggering another round of Conservative infighting as MPs scramble to replace him.
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10.10am
Taoiseach Simon Harris has said the election of a Labour government in the UK can herald a “great reset” in Anglo-Irish relations.
The Taoiseach said he looks forward to working closely with Sir Keir Starmer as he acknowledged his “comprehensive victory” in the UK general election.
“I want to congratulate him and his family, his staff and his candidates, and as Taoiseach I look forward to working together as close neighbours and as friends,” he said.
“The relationship between Ireland and the United Kingdom is deeply consequential for all people across these islands and the relationship between an Irish Taoiseach and a British Prime Minister is vital.”
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9.45am
Northern Ireland is best served by a “mixture of voices” in Westminster, Robin Swann said as he claimed the South Antrim seat for the UUP.
Mr Swann was elected as an MP for the constituency with 38 per cent of the valid poll and a majority of 7,512.
It means DUP representative Paul Girvan has lost the seat he held since 2017, placing a distant second.
South Antrim became one of the most closely watched constituencies in the Westminister elections, as Mr Girvan’s narrow majority appeared to mark the region as one of the DUP’s most at-risk majorities.
The constituency has always been held by a unionist, having flipped between the UUP and the DUP in the past.
Mr Swann – who overcame the perception of being a blow-in from North Antrim – stepped down as Stormont health minister to run as a high-profile challenger to Mr Girvan.
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9.30am
SDLP deputy leader Claire Hanna has predicted a “step change” in the British government’s attitude to Northern Ireland after she retained her seat at Westminster.
Ms Hanna, who secured almost 50 per cent of the vote with 21,345 votes, saw off a challenge from the Alliance Party’s Kate Nicholl to win the renamed South Belfast and Mid Down seat.
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9.10am
The Taoiseach has congratulated Keir Starmer on Labour’s victory, and says he hopes to speak with him "in the coming hours".
Simon Harris says he looks forward to working closely with the incoming prime minister on a range of matters including Northern Ireland.
He adds the win represents a "great reset" for the UK.
