The new United Kingdom Prime Minister, Keir Starmer has started to assemble his cabinet members after his Labour Party swept the elections in a landslide victory on Friday.
Starmer on Friday, appointed Angela Rayner as Deputy Prime Minister, Yvette Cooper as Home Secretary and David Lammy as Foreign Secretary while Rachel Reeves becomes the UK’s first female chancellor.
He vowed to restore trust in politics and build a “government of service”, in his first speech as prime minister.
Outgone Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has resigned as Prime Minister and as Conservative Party leader, after their devastating defeat in the general election.
Starmer assured his nation that the job of bringing the needed change in the UK is urgent.
The Labour Party leader gave his first speech as Prime Minister at Number 10 Downing Street in London, saying “Our work is urgent – and we begin it today.”
Starmer, who was invited to form the government by King Charles at Buckingham Palace, told a group of cheering party faithful and supporters that a new UK would be his priority.
The Conservative Party of outgoing Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak lost more than 250 seats, its worst-ever defeat, in the last 14 years which has now confined the party to an opposition party.
After about two years in power Sunak will face a political future that is difficult to predict at the moment following this heavy defeat.
It is also instructive to note that Former PM Liz Truss lost her seat as several cabinet ministers.
Sunak had reportedly admitted that he was responsible for his party’s dismal performance in the elections and may begin the rejuvenation work as the dust settles.
“I have heard your anger,” Sunak said outside No 10, as he made his way out just after about two years of being the UK prime Minister, the first from Asian origin.
Nigel Farage’s populist Reform UK party won its first seats and came second in many more, splitting the right-wing vote and contributing to the Conservatives’ losses.
The Liberal Democrats will be the third biggest party in parliament after its best result in years.
The Greens made gains while the Scottish National Party suffered a collapse, losing nearly 40 seats, most of them to Labour.
The New PM in his speech also cited the need for schools and affordable homes even as he vowed to “rebuild” the country’s “infrastructure of opportunity”, doing so “brick by brick.”
“The work of change begins immediately,” he told the nation from a lectern on Downing Street, though he acknowledged this would not be as simple as “flicking a switch.”