POLITICS: STARMER’S VICTORY AND A PROMISE FOR AN EFFECTIVE CHANGE

By Rianat Ademola

On July 4, 2024, the political landscape of the United Kingdom saw a momentous change. After 14 years of Conservative government, the Labour Party won the general election and obtained a strong mandate. The Conservative government was overthrown by the Labour Party, which is led by Sir Keir Starmer, after winning several seats around the nation.

As demonstrated by the election that made Starter the prime minister, voters voiced their desire for change and turned out in large numbers to support the winning party. With a strong Labour majority, Keir Starmer emerged victorious in the election and was sworn in as prime minister. All 650 seats were declared.

The House of Commons is the primary legislative body in the United Kingdom, with the unelected House of Lords serving as a deliberative body. The country is governed by a parliamentary system. Each of its 650 members is chosen by a geographical constituency with a population that is about equal. The candidate who receives the most votes in each constituency is declared the winner. Votes for other candidates are effectively lost, therefore winning 50% of the vote is not necessary. We call this kind of voting first-past-the-post. The recent general election that saw Starmer emerge as the new prime minister is evidence of this.

Conversely, the 650 members of the House of Commons, the lower house of the UK Parliament, are referred to as members of Parliament. The prime minister’s or the government’s term is subject to the House of Commons. They might decide to hold elections or demand that the prime minister step down. The number of members in the House of Lords is not fixed, in contrast to the House of Commons, which has a set number of seats.

Starter offered a thorough platform throughout the 2024 general election campaign. The platform included provisions for immigration and national security, as well as recruiting caseworkers to reduce the backlog of refugee cases and enact Martyn’s Law, which will strengthen citizen security. In addition, he pledged to invest £1.3 billion in NHS services and suggested creating a new National Wealth Fund as a means of making strategic investments and fostering economic growth.

His manifesto contained a number of pledges that addressed pressing issues and focused toward improving the UK’s future while taking sustainability into account. After 14 years of Conservative government, voters voiced their desire for change, as outlined in Starmer’s manifesto, leading to the Tories’ defeat. The Labour Party’s triumph did not come as a surprise to many, since surveys had repeatedly indicated they would win. It was obvious that Labour was favored to the Tories. Without a doubt, Starmer won the election.

Notably, The Sun—which has always backed conservatism—endorsed the Labour party for the first time since 2005, which probably swayed some people and helped Labour win elections. This indicates that the public perceives the Labour party as a source of optimism.

Britain’s political landscape has entered a new phase with the rise of the Labour Party. The appointment of Sir Keir Starmer as prime minister reflects the electorate’s yearning for fresh perspectives and collaborative governance. Despite its victory, this administration will undoubtedly run into problems. There will undoubtedly be difficulties. Important challenges including prison congestion, Brexit-related decisions, and economic recovery need to be addressed in order to secure long-term success. It is the greatest setback in the party’s parliamentary history for the Tories, who are now officially the Opposition, to having lost the general election. The opposition party is going to scrutinize the Labour Party, and the Conservative Party—which still has Rishi Sunak as its leader, though there are rumors that he may be ousted—will reevaluate their approaches. Opposition parties and the general public will be keenly monitoring their policies on international affairs, healthcare, education, and climate change.

Numerous issues, including the Brexit ban, can be attributed to the Conversative defeats.Brexit—Britain’s exit from the EU—stands out as the Conservative Party’s most important legacy. Boris Johnson, the prime minister at the time, also had to deal with the serious COVID-19 pandemic issue. His original plan to let the virus spread in order to gain herd immunity backfired, and he came under heavy scrutiny as the death toll increased. The deplorable state of the nation’s National Health Service (NHS) has also substantially declined since the Conservatives came to power in 2010. Regarding how they handled the economy and the growing cost of living, the Conservatives came under fire. In a similar vein, Rishi Sunak only partially succeeded in stabilizing the economy. In addition, his wealthy background acted as a barrier, drawing criticism for his disregard for the needs of common people and his refusal to acknowledge the effects of inflation and growing living expenses.

Numerous voters were offended by these activities, which also severely tarnished the Conservative Party’s standing. To prevent history from happening again, the Labour Party needs to learn from its predecessor’s error.