Rishi Sunak concedes defeat in UK general election

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says the British people have “delivered a sobering verdict" as he conceded that the left-of-center Labour Party has won the general election.

"The Labour Party has won this General Election and I've called (Labour leader) Sir Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory. Today, power will change hands in a peaceful and orderly manner with good will on all sides. That is something that should give us all confidence in our country's stability and future," Sunak said.

He said he took “responsibility” for his party’s loss, and that "there is much to learn and reflect on".

Voters in the U.K. cast their ballots Thursday in a national election to choose the 650 lawmakers who will sit in Parliament for the next five years.

With more than half of all seats counted, Labour, led by Keir Starmer, has gained at least 326 seats, enough to have a majority in Parliament.

An exit poll suggested that after 14 years in power under five different prime ministers, Sunak ’s Conservatives are set to have their seats in the 650-seat House of Commons cut down to 131.

That would be the Tories’ worst result in the party’s two-century history and one that would leave the party in disarray.

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