Outgoing Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks to the media as he leaves 10 Downing Avenue following Labour’s landslide election victory on July 5, 2024 in London, England.
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LONDON – Outgoing UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Friday mentioned he’ll step down because the chief of the Conservative Occasion after the opposition Labour Occasion secured a landslide victory in Thursday’s nationwide election.
Sunak introduced he’ll step down because the chief of the Conservative Occasion as quickly because the formal preparations for choosing his successor are in place. He then had an viewers with King Charles III the place he tendered his resignation as prime minister.
“It is a tough day, on the finish of quite a few tough days,” Sunak mentioned throughout a closing deal with exterior of Downing Avenue. “However I go away this job honored to have been your prime minister.”
Chatting with crowds on 10 Downing Avenue, Sunak mentioned: “I’ve given this job my all, however you will have despatched a transparent sign that the federal government of the UK should change, and yours is the one judgment that issues.”
The Conservative Occasion suffered its lowest end result, when it comes to seats, in its post-war historical past. The previous chief and chancellor of the exchequer conceded defeat early Friday morning after Labour handed the edge wanted to manipulate alone. Keir Starmer’s Labour Occasion received its second-largest majority after former Prime Minister Tony Blair’s 179-seat majority in 1997.
Sunak held on to his seat in Richmond and Northallerton after profitable 47.5% of the votes – a 15% drop from the earlier election. However different high-profile members of parliament within the election resembling Grant Shapps, the get together’s protection minister, and Penny Mordaunt, the chief of the Home of Commons, didn’t safe one other time period.
“I’ve heard your anger, your self-discipline, and I take duty for this loss to all of the conservative candidates and campaigners who work tirelessly however with out success,” Sunak mentioned Friday.
“I’m sorry that we couldn’t ship what your efforts deserved. It pains me to suppose what number of good colleagues who contributed a lot to their communities and our nation will now not sit within the Home of Commons.”
Sunak was appointed prime minister in October 2022, changing into the primary British Asian to take workplace. He held the submit for simply 20 months.
