Our Bureau
London
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, candidate for the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom’s snap polls on Friday conceded defeat and declared that the “Labour Party has won” the general election, CNN reported.
“The Labour Party has won this general election,” Sunak said, adding that he called up Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory.
“The British people have delivered a sobering verdict tonight,” Sunak said from his constituency of Richmond and Northallerton in northern England which he won.
He was the UK’s first Indian-origin Prime Minister. The outgoing British Prime Minister took 47.5 per cent of the vote in his constituency.
Conceding the Labour Party’s win, Sunak apologised and said that he feels responsible for the loss.
“I take responsibility for the loss to the many good, hard-working, conservative candidates who lost tonight despite their tireless efforts, their local records of delivery and their dedication to their communities, I am sorry,” Sunak said.
“Today power will change hands in an orderly and peaceful manner, with goodwill on all sides” he said.
In late May this year, Sunak called for a snap vote, which came as a surprise for many in his party.
“I will now head down to London, where I will say more about tonight’s result before I leave the job of Prime Minister, to which I have given my all…” he said.
Since Boris Johnson easily won the most recent general election in 2019, Britain has had three prime ministers from the Conservative party. In 2022, members of the Conservative party chose Liz Truss to succeed him as prime minister, making her the shortest-serving Prime Minister in British history, CNN reported. Then, Sunak was chosen by Conservative Members of Parliament (MPs) to succeed her.
