The U.K. General Election 2024

Overview

• The ruling Conservative Party (Tories) faced a crushing defeat.
• This is considered the worst wipeout since World War II.
• The Labour Party, led by Sir Keir Starmer, has taken over.

Tory Wipeout

• U.K.'s Parliament: Bicameral system with the Lords and the Commons (650 seats).
• To form a Cabinet, a party needs at least 326 seats.
• 2019 Election: Tories 365 seats, Labour 202 seats.
• 2024 Election Result: Tories down to 122 seats, Labour won 412 seats (63%).
• Labour's win reminiscent of Tony Blair's 418-seat landslide in 1997.
• The electoral system: Winner-takes-all in 650 constituencies.
• Spoiler candidates and Nigel Farage's Reform UK affected results.
  • Reform UK: Founded in 2018, won 4 seats, mostly taking votes from Tories.
• Major Tory losses: Grant Shapps, Penny Mordaunt, Liz Truss, Jacob Rees-Mogg.
• PM Rishi Sunak retained his seat

Liberal Democrats' Success

• LibDems increased from 11 to 71 seats due to tactical voting.
• Outperformed Reform UK in seat conversion despite fewer votes.

Scottish National Party (SNP)

• SNP reduced from 48 to 9 seats due to Labour's resurgence.
• Labour lost core seats to pro-Palestinian independents.

Electoral System Issues

• System favors two-party, but U.K. now has four major political forces.
• Imbalance between votes and seats is evident.
• Labour MPs might face diverse constituency-specific issues.
• Starmer's large majority poses internal faction challenges.

Why Did Tories Fall?

• Conservative Party transformed from