In an election verdict that was foretold, but is nonetheless momentous, a UK seeking stability has voted to power the Keir Starmer-led Labour Party. This ends 14 years of Conservative rule scarred by chaos and controversy. The scale of the victory that Labour has been handed — sweeping to power with 412 seats, well past the majority mark — makes this a historic election for the party. Coming five years after its worst poll defeat in a century, it is also a reminder that a volatile electorate that seems to have less enthusiasm for Labour than fury for the Tories could very well swing away from it again in 2029. Beneath the roiling surface of electoral politics are deep, structural problems in need of attention. The UK’s new Prime Minister’s emphasis on “national renewal” in his victory speech suggests that he understands the import of this moment.
For the Tories, as Rishi Sunak said while conceding defeat, the 2024 election has delivered a “sobering verdict”, one that should lead them to ask how a party that was ensconced in Whitehall for nearly a decade and a half, lost its way. The Tories’ inability to make prudent fiscal choices was certainly a factor, as were the debacle of the Brexit vote, the cost-of-living crisis that came with the Covid-19 pandemic, the seeming breakdown of “national treasure” NHS, the housing shortage, and a chaotic leadership lurching from crisis to crisis amidst public inner-party bickering. PR disasters like the Downing Street party at the height of the Covid restrictions delivered blows the party struggled to recover from. While the spectacle of a government lacking clarity of purpose and vision may have been what handed Labour its thumping victory, Starmer’s hard work to make the party electable — making a sharp turn away from the hard Left stance of expelled leader Jeremy Corbyn — cannot be overlooked. Going ahead, the new government cannot afford to get complacent. Tough decisions — on public spending, housing, migrants and foreign policy — will need to be stepped up to. Fresh challenges have already cast their shadow on Labour’s moment of triumph: Nigel Farage, whose anti-immigrant party Rising UK ate into traditional Tory support in some seats, with Farage himself winning after seven failed attempts, has declared his intention to go after Labour voters next. Starmer would also be uneasy over the victory of five independent candidates, including the ousted Corbyn, who campaigned against Labour’s stance on Gaza.
With the new Labour’s stated intention of continuing to pursue a productive relationship with India, that developed under the Tories, Delhi has reason to be optimistic. This is a sharp departure from the party’s narrow view of India through the prism of Kashmir and Pakistan alone. In recent years, the India-UK relationship has emerged as a key one for both sides and David Lammy, who is likely to be the new Foreign Secretary, has already spoken of closing the FTA deal with India and moving ahead on the technological and defence fronts. For India, a Labour-led UK that speaks of “progressive realism” as a guide for foreign policy, opens the window of opportunity wider.
