London: Keir Starmer on Friday promised a phase of “national renewal” as Britain’s Prime Minister-elect after he led the Labour Party to a landslide victory in a landmark UK general election with a gain of over 200 seats, as outgoing leader Rishi Sunak conceded defeat with his Conservative Party suffering its worst election defeat in history. Starmer,61, now stands poised to take charge at 10 Downing Street after his audience with King Charles III at Buckingham Palace, following Sunak’s meeting with the British monarch.

With 326 seats needed for a parliamentary majority, early results point to Labour winning 410 seats, Conservatives with 131, Liberal Democrats with 61, and the remainder split among a variety of parties.

Starmer stepped up to make his victory speech in London: “Change begins now. And it feels good, I have to be honest. “A mandate like this comes with a great responsibility. Our task is nothing less than renewing the ideas that hold this country together. National renewal.

Whoever you are, wherever you start in life, if you work hard, if you play by the rules, this country should give you a fair chance to get on. It should always respect your contribution and we have to restore that.” Meanwhile, the country’s first British Indian prime minister comfortably held on to his own Richmond and Northallerton seat in northern England with 23,059 votes but failed to turn things around for his party at a national level after 14 years in government. His Conservative Party suffered its worst election defeat in history losing 250 MPs in Thursday’s general election.

A sombre-looking Sunak was joined by wife Akshata Murty as his future as a member of Parliament was decided and chose to use his acceptance speech to also admit his party’s defeat in winning another term in government. “The Labour Party has won this general election and I have called Sir Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory,” said Sunak, acknowledging the “sobering verdict” handed to his party and taking “responsibility for the loss”. He pledged to “continue to serve” his constituents for the “weeks, months and years ahead” and stressed that the transfer of power at Westminster will take place in a “peaceful and orderly manner with goodwill on all sides”.

In his farewell speech, the 44-year-old was filled with emotion as he apologised to the voters who had delivered the party led by him a hammering at the ballot box. But he stressed that he had given the job everything and also apologised to his Tory colleagues who lost their seats overnight.

Sunak said he will step down as the leader of the Conservative Party, taking “responsibility” for its debacle in the general election.