Landslide win for Labour

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer announced his cabinet immediately after storming to victory in the United Kingdom general election.

The Labour leader, who was appointed Prime Minister by King Charles on Friday morning, promised a government “unburdened by doctrine” in his first Downing Street address. Sir Keir vowed to run a "government of service" and to kick start a period of "national renewal".

"For too long we've turned a blind eye as millions slid into greater insecurity," he said. "I want to say very clearly to those people. Not this time."

"Changing a country is not like flicking a switch. The world is now a more volatile place. This will take a while, but have no doubt the work of change will begin immediately.”

Meanwhile, the Conservatives are reeling after the party suffered its worst electoral defeat in history. As expected, it was the biggest majority since 1997.

Labour now have 412 seats – an increase of 211. The Conservatives are down to 121 seats, a loss of 372. Liberal Democrats have 71 and the Scottish National Party 9.

Sunak apologised to the nation following the defeat. Accepting responsibility for the result, he said he understood voters' "anger" at his government.

"To the country I would like to say first and foremost I am sorry," he said. "I have given this job my all but you have sent a clear message that the government of the UK must change, and yours is the judgement that matters.

"I have heard your anger, your disappointment, and I take responsibility for this loss."

Angela Rayner is the new Deputy Prime Minister. She has been Sir Keir's deputy since he was elected Labour leader in 2020. She also becomes levelling up secretary - a shadow brief that she also held.

Born and raised on a council estate in Stockport, Greater Manchester, she had her first child at the age of 16, crediting New Labour's Sure Start policy with ensuring her life "wasn't written off". She worked as a carer and then a trade union leader before entering party politics.

David Lammy is appointed Foreign Secretary. He has represented Tottenham, north London, where he grew up, since 2000 when he won the by-election triggered by the death of Labour's Bernie Grant.

He was the first black Briton to attend Harvard Law School, where he met and befriended Barack Obama. Under New Labour he served as minister for higher education and culture. Lammy has written widely about the 2011 London riots, which began in his constituency. He has also condemned Oxford University for not accepting enough black and ethnic minority students.

He admits he will probably have to have a cordial relationship with Donald Trump if the former president wins the US elections in November, despite in the past Lammy criticizing Trump for slandering and insulting London for political benefit, adding that “Trump has barely concealed his racist attacks on the UK”.

Rachel Reeves became Chancellor. She worked for the Bank of England and then HBOS before entering the Commons in 2010. As a teenager growing up in Lewisham, south London, she won the British under-14 chess championship before going to study at Oxford. She says she turned down a job at Goldman Sachs, despite the fact it would have made her "much richer".

Yvette Cooper is now Home Secretary. She and her husband Ed Balls are both veterans of New Labour - having had various ministerial roles under Sir Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.

Ms Cooper's experience included chief secretary to the Treasury, work and pensions secretary, as well as health, and housing minister. While at the Department of Health she was the first minister in the UK to ever take maternity leave.