SIR Keir Starmer has declared “we did it” and said today “we start the next chapter” as his party won a landslide election.
In his victory speech, the Labour leader said the UK was again experiencing the “sunlight of hope”.
Tory leader Rishi Sunak conceded defeat after a “sobering” night for his party which saw a record eight Cabinet minister lose their seats.
At a rally in central London, Sir Keir said the country could now “get its future back”.
He told jubilant activists “we did it”, adding: “Change begins now.”
Sir Keir said: “We did it. You campaigned for it, you fought for it, you voted for it, and now it has arrived – change begins now.
“It feels good, I have to be honest. Four-and-a-half years of work changing the party, this is what it is for – a changed Labour Party ready to serve our country, ready to restore Britain to the service of working people.
“And across our country, people will be waking up to the news, relief that a weight has been lifted, a burden finally removed from the shoulders of this great nation.
“And now we can look forward, walk into the morning, the sunlight of hope, pale at first but getting stronger through the day, shining once again, on a country with the opportunity after 14 years to get its future back.”
It comes as Sir Keir vowed “I will fight your corner every single day” as he announced it was “time for Labour to deliver” in a rousing speech.
He made the bold claims as he held onto his Holborn and St Pancras seat by a large majority and a stint in No 10 beckons.
Earlier, Sir Keir was welcomed by joyous supporters as he arrived to the count alongside wife Victoria.
Speaking at the count, he said: “It is a huge privilege to be re-elected to serve this constituency, Holborn and St Pancras.
“My home, where my kids have grown up, where my wife was born. I have to thank Vic and my family more than anyone for their love and support and for keeping me totally grounded.”
He added: “Whether you voted for me or not, I will serve every person in this constituency.”
Sir Keir also pledged to “end the politics of performance”, adding: “Tonight people here and around the country have spoken and they’re ready for change – to end the politics of performance and return to politics as public service.
“The change begins right here because this is your democracy, your community and your future.
“You have voted. It is now time for us to deliver.”
On a historic night:
Exit polls on Thursday night indicated that Starmer would end 14 years of Conservative rule in a historic hammering for Rishi.
Labour has clawed back constituencies lost to Boris Johnson in the Red Wall in 2019.
And the reds have booted out Tory big beasts, including Sir Robert Buckland in Swindon South and ex-Conservative Chair Amanda Milling in Cannock Chase.
Sir Keir’s party has also gained the totemic bellwether seat of Nuneaton, Warwickshire.
Two Conservative heavyweights, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps and Justice Secretary Alex Chalk, both lost their seats.
Former Defence Secretary Shapps was one of the most experienced Cabinet Ministers standing at the election – and had been expected to throw his hat in the ring for leader.
He was scalped by Labour by 3,799 votes.
By Kate Ferguson, Political Editor Sun on Sunday
BRITAIN will wake up to a political earthquake.
If the exit poll is right, Labour have stormed to victory with their biggest majority in their 100 year history.
It is a jaw-dropping turnaround from the dark days of the Jeremy Corbyn era of 209, when the party suffered their worst result in history.
The Tories look set to be decimated. The most successful political party in Europe has been reduced to just a rump of 131 MPs.
Be in no doubt – this is a nightmare for the Conservative Party. They now face the painful task of having to rebuild and choose a new leader.
But the big story of the night is Nigel Farage’s Reform party, who are expected to win a staggering 13 seats.
This political maverick has lobbed a grenade into Westminster – and he is only just getting started.
Reform is expected to win the key seat of Hartlepool – the Red Wall seat in Labour’s old heartlands which turned Tory under Boris Johnson.
Nigel, 60, the godfather of Brexit, is a charismatic leader well trained in waging war on ‘political elites’ from his days in the European Parliament.
He had run and failed to become an MP seven times before.
He has finally won on the eighth attempt – and looks set to have a dozen Reform MPs with him.
He has the potential to change the face of politics forever.
Sir Keir Starmer and the next leader of the Tories – whoever that may be – should brace themselves
Laying into the Conservatives, he fumed: “Today, voters have simply said, ‘If you can’t agree with each other, then we can’t agree to vote for you.’
However, Kemi Badenoch, expected to throw her hat in the ring for Tory leadership, has survived in Saffron Walden.
She’s in the arena to shape the future of the Conservative Party.
And former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith held his Chingford and Woodford Green with the odds stacked against him.
There was also a shock result in Leicester South as Jonathan Ashworth, the Shadow Paymaster General, was ousted by less than 1,000 votes by pro-Gaza independent Shockat Adam.
It will be a bitter blow for Labour as Ashworth had been heavily involved in the campaign.
Reform UK chief Nigel Farage was elected in Clacton with 21,225 votes and said his party is now targeting Labour.
The Tories worst previous result is 156 seats in 1906.
Starmer’s deputy, Angela Rayner, told the BBC the exit poll numbers were “encouraging… but I’m not counting my chickens until we’ve got those results coming in”.
And former Tory leader William Hague told Times Radio the projected result would be “a catastrophic result in historic terms” for the Tories.
Sir Keir expected to be asked by King Charles to form the next government on Friday morning.
He will then appoint his Cabinet before finalising a blizzard of new laws to be announced to Parliament on July 17.
Labour’s expected victory is a significant turnaround from five years ago when the party crashed to its worst defeat since 1935 under Mr Corbyn.
