Britain will have a new prime minister after former chief prosecutor Keir Starmer defeated incumbent Rishi Sunak in a landslide victory on Friday.

Sunak pushed for an early election to be called on the back of positive economic news, but voters instead handed the party its worst electoral defeat in its history. according to This was reported to the Associated Press.

Starmer's center-left Labour Party won 412 of the 650 seats in the House of Commons, to Sunak's Conservatives' just 121. The previous lowest total was 156 in 1906, according to the Associated Press.

Starmer will be the first Labour member to become leader since Tony Blair in 2005. (Related: President Trump congratulates Nigel Farage on winning his parliamentary seat)

The victory ended 14 years of Conservative rule, including the short-lived governments of Prime Ministers Theresa May, Boris Johnson and Liz Truss.

Conservative lawmakers criticised Mr Sunak's decision to call an early election, saying the party was ill-prepared and his policies were uninspiring. according to To Reuters.

Starmer, 61, brings a wealth of legal experience to the job, having previously been a civil rights lawyer and ultimately served as chief prosecutor for England and Wales. according to He was knighted for his work as a prosecutor, he told The Associated Press.

Starmer The chancellor promised reform and vowed to fix the country's broken health system and housing crisis, while assuring Britons that there would be no tax increases, according to the Associated Press.

My government serves you.

Politics can be a force for good.

The journey to change starts today. pic.twitter.com/b5R3VWVUrI

— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) July 5, 2024

“I don't think anyone has any particular expectations of Keir Starmer, but I think he has succeeded in presenting himself as the competent adult who can get the government back to where it belongs,” Liz Butler, professor of modern history at City University London, told The Associated Press.