Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday congratulated Sir Keir Starmer, who is set to be the UK’s new Prime Minister, after the latter’s Labour Party emerged victorious in the July 4 general elections in the United Kingdom.
“Heartiest congratulations and best wishes to @Keir_Starmer on the remarkable victory in the UK general elections. I look forward to our positive and constructive collaboration to further strengthen the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in all areas, fostering mutual growth and prosperity,” PM Modi wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
The snap polls, called by the now-outgoing premier Rishi Sunak of the defeated Conservatives, have resulted in Labour regaining power after 14 years, with the party scoring a landslide victory, winning 412 seats in the 650-member Parliament.
On the other hand, the Conservatives, also known as the Tories, were victorious only on 120 seats, and finished a distant second to the Starmer-led Labour.
Sunak, Britain’s first Hindu Prime Minister and the first Indian-origin person to hold the coveted post, will soon meet King Charles, and tender his resignation. The King will then invite Starmer to form the next government.
‘Change starts now’
Addressing a celebratory rally in central London, Starmer, 61, declared that ‘the change starts now’ and committed himself to what he said would be a ‘decade of national renewal.’
However, he also noted that a ‘substantial change would require time.’
Who is Sir Keir Starmer?
A barrister by profession, he served as the Leader of the Labour Party from 2020 to 2024, succeeding Jeremy Corbyn. He is the Member of Parliament (MP) of the Holborn and St Pancras constituency, which he has held since 2015, winning four successive elections. Also, he will now be the first Prime Minister from the Labour Party since Gordon Brown, who was in office from June 2007 to May 2010.