Labour Party leader Starmer thanks British voters, says people are ready for change

London: Keir Starmer, the Labour Party leader on track to be the UK’s new prime minister, on Friday thanked voters and said the people of the country are "ready for change" and to "end the politics of performance".

Starmer, 61, in his victory speech after winning from Holborn and St Pancras, said whether people voted for him or not, "I'll serve every person in this constituency." According to the exit poll, which is often quite close to the final tally, Labour could win as many as 410 seats, comfortably crossing the half way 326 mark and notching up a 170-seat majority with the incumbent Tories led by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak down to just 131 seats.

"I will speak out for you, have your back, fight your corner every single day," he said, adding people are "ready for change" and to "end the politics of performance".

"The change begins right here because this is your democracy, your community, your future," he said. "You have voted. It's now time for us to deliver." Starmer thanked all those involved in the count and his fellow candidates.

He said the heart of our democracy beats not in Westminster or Whitehall, but in town halls, community centres and in the hands of people who hold the vote.

"Change begins in this community with the people who came together to make life better," he said.

He thanked his wife and family for keeping him 'grounded' He said it is a "huge privilege" to be re-elected to serve Holborn and St Pancras.

It is "my home, where my kids have grown up, where my wife was born," he says of the area.

He won with 18,884 votes - with pro-Palestinian activist, independent Andrew Feinstein, in second place. Starmer's majority, however, was down significantly from 22,766 in 2019, to 11,572.