 "Keir Starmer’s Labour wins UK election: The history of the party, its leaders and policies")
It is a landmark election in the United Kingdom. After 14 long years and five prime ministers, the Conservative Party is voted out in favour of Labour. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has conceded defeat.
The Labour Party has won 316 out of 650 seats so far, as counting continues. If exit polls are to be believed, it is expected to bag 410 seats.
Britain will get a new prime minister in Keir Starmer , only the seventh Labour leader in 10 Downing.
We take a look at the history of the Labour Party, its leaders, and what are its promises to the people of the UK and its foreign policies.
What is the Labour Party?
The Labour Party was created in 1900 under the name, the Labour Representative Committee (LRC). It emerged from the Independent Labour Party formed by Keir Hardie in 1893. Hardie aimed to convince the trade unions to withdraw their support for the Liberal Party and back the emerging Labour movement, according to the BBC.
The party was born out of a coalition of socialists, Marxists, social democrats, trade unionists and others. It was in 1922 that Labour became the official opposition for the first time in the UK. Since then, it has sat in the opposition or has formed a government.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsTraditionally, it has been a left-leaning party but now identifies itself as centre-left.
How many Labour prime ministers has the UK had? What did they mean for the country?
Since 1918, Labour has formed 11 governments, compared to 13 for the Conservatives in the same period. It has had six prime ministers until now.
The first Labour government took office in 1924 with a minority but lasted only 11 months. Ending two centuries of dominance by Conservative and Liberal leaders, Ramsay MacDonald became the first Labour PM.
Labour won a majority for the first time in the general election held in July 1945 with Clement Attlee at the helm. It was after the Second World War (1939-1945) and during its six years in power, the government ushered in social and economic reforms. The National Health Service was established, coal, iron, steel and the railways were all nationalised and the British colonies of India and Burma were granted independence, reports the BBC.
The party returned to power in 1964 with Harold Wilson as prime minister, ending what he termed as “13 wasted years” of Tory rule. His administration struggled to manage the economy and was forced to devalue the pound in 1967. He lost to the Conservatives under Edward Heath in 1970 only to return to office in 1974.
Wilson presided over a referendum on Britain’s membership of the European Economic Community and a collapse in the pound’s value, which led to a rescue by the IMF. He shocked the nation with his resignation as PM and leader of the Labour Party, making way for Jim Callaghan, the then-foreign secretary, to take over both positions in 1976.
Callaghan had a tiny parliamentary majority as he inherited the PM’s chair. During his tenure, he faced confrontation with organised labour who continued to strike work. It all led up to the “Winter of Discontent” in 1979 – public servants staged walkouts bringing the country to a standstill. By the end of that year, the Callaghan government was voted out and the Conservatives returned to power under the country’s first woman prime minister Margaret Thatcher.
What followed was 18 years of Conservative Party rule. The next Labour prime minister came to power in 1997 – Tony Blair , one of the most popular leaders of the party. He modernised Labour and moved away from its traditional values. He led the party to a landslide victory bagging 418 seats up from 146 in the previous parliament. This was the highest-ever number for a single party in the country.
Blair brought big changes to the UK and provided a fillip to the economy, overseeing public sector reforms. On foreign affairs, he ensured that Britain was more involved, joining the American bombing of Iraq in 1998 and in 1999 he risked much during a NATO bombing campaign that halted Serb forces’ advances and ultimately helped Kosova win independence. Blair was at the helm in the UK until 2007, making him the longest-serving Labour PM.
Taking over from him was Gordon Brown, who was PM from 2007 to 2010. He oversaw the devolution of powers in Northern Ireland, the withdrawal of troops from Iraq, and the world’s first-ever Climate Change Act.
There has been no Labour government since. Starmer will be the first PM from the party after 14 years.
Why is Starmer a big deal for Labour?
Starmer has been the Leader of the Opposition in the UK parliament for four years. Now he is set to take over as prime minister and has been credited with reviving the party which won 202 seats in 2019, its lowest number since 1935.
Starmer entered the UK parliament just about a decade ago in 2015. He has changed the fortunes of the party and pulled it to the centre of several key policies. He is not a firebrand leader; he is managerial and dutiful, even a bit dull, says a report in The Associated Press.
He took charge of the Labour Party after Jeremy Corbyn lost the election in 2019. The country was facing one challenge after another – the COVID-19 pandemic, the exit from the European Union, the economic crisis, and the fallout of the Russia-Ukraine war. Through it all, he took on the Conservative leadership and convinced the country that a change was needed.
Who are the other Labour leaders?
Forty-four-year-old Angela Rayner could be the deputy prime minister. She grew up in social housing in northern England, left school without a degree and became a single mother at 16. Apart from being deputy PM, she would be responsible for housing policy and tackling regional inequalities, reports AFP.
Rachel Reeves, the former Bang of England economist, is likely to become the first woman Chancellor of the Exchequer.
David Lammy, 51, is a Black lawmaker, who has honed his vision for UK diplomacy with dozens of foreign trips in the past two years. He is likely to get foreign affairs.
The other prominent Labour leaders are Yvette Cooper, Wes Streeting, and John Healey.
What will Starmer bring to the UK?
One of Labour’s first missions is sustained economic growth. It promises to be “pro-business and “pro-worker” and focus on wealth creation.
The party has also pledged not to raise taxes “for working people”, with no increase in the basic, higher, or additional rates of income tax, National Insurance, or VAT.
Health and education will be the focus. Starmer has plans to cut waiting times in the National Health Service by adding 40,000 more appointments every week. He has promised to recruit 6,500 teachers and pay them by ending tax breaks for private schools.
On immigration, Starmer plans to start a “border security command” to stop smugglers from arranging small boat crossings.
What will UK foreign policy look like under Starmer?
Labour has promised Britain will stay outside of the European Union, with no return to the single market, the customs union, or freedom of movement of people. However, it wants to reset ties with the bloc and remove unnecessary trade barriers.
The party plans to seek a new UK-EU security pact to strengthen cooperation and rebuild relationships with key European allies, including France and Germany. It will also seek new bilateral agreements.
A Labour government could be good news for India . The party has said it would seek a new strategic partnership with India, including a free trade agreement, which has been in limbo for a while. It also plans to deepen cooperation in areas including security, education, technology and climate change.
Under Starmer, the party will continue to back Ukraine, maintaining Britain’s military, financial, diplomatic and political support. It wants to provide Kyiv with a clear path to NATO membership.
The Labour government would continue to push for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and has committed to recognising a Palestinian state as a contribution to a renewed peace process which results in a two-state solution.
The party describes the United States as an “indispensable ally” and has said it would bring “a long-term and strategic approach” to managing Britain’s relations with China.
With inputs from agencies
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