Inside the room as Keir Starmer found out he was going to be Prime Minister (2024)

As the exit poll was announced at 10pm, Keir Starmer turned and hugged his wife Vic at their friend's house as it became clear he would be the country’s new Prime Minister

As the exit poll was announced, Keir Starmer turned and hugged his wife Vic as it became clear he would be the country’s new Prime Minister.

The Labour leader had gathered his family and close aides at one of his friend’s houses in central London to watch the moment of truth on TV. Just as the rest of the nation was waiting to hear the result at the strike of 10pm, Mr Starmer did not know in advance what was coming.

As the BBC's Laura Kuennsberg said “the exit poll is predicting a Labour landslide”, he embraced his wife as it dawned on him he was heading to No10. “It was an emotional moment,” said one person who was in the room. As his aides cheered and whooped loudly, Mr Starmer punched the air in a moment of sheer joy.

Moments later all eyes turned to the North East as young volunteers at sports centres rushed with boxes of ballots in the race to be the first constituency to declare. Houghton and Sunderland South won the now familiar election tradition just 73minutes after the exit poll dropped - with the news of senior Labour figure Bridget Phillipson's re-election.

Ms Phillipson, who was appointed Education Secretary, said: “Tonight the British people have spoken and if the exit poll this evening is again a guide to the results across our country - as it so often is - then after 14 years the British people have chosen change”.

The result set in motion a string of stunning victories for Labour as the party overturned massive Conservative majorities across the country. They included the South West Norfolk where the party unseated Britain's shortest serving Prime Minister Liz Truss in the biggest Tory scalp of the election.

Labour snatched Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket where the Tories were defending a 22,085 majority. It also overturned a 19,879 majority in Cannock Chase. Scottish Labour Leader Anas Sarwar also celebrated north of the border after wiping out almost a decade of SNP dominance. He spoke with Mr Starmer straight after the exit poll came out and said he was "particularly delighted about the results here in Scotland". The party, which was reduced to one seat in Scotland in 2019, won 37 out of the 57 seats declared by Friday morning.

The Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey secured the party's best ever performance with 71 seats - toppling a series of Conservative Cabinet Ministers. Reading the writing on the wall, Rishi Sunak conceded defeat shortly before 4am and called the Labour leader to congratulate him on his stunning election success.

General Election 2024 UPDATES: Watch LIVE as new PM Keir Starmer gives speech at No.10

As Labour passed the threshold for the 326 seats needed for a Common majority around an hour later Keir Starmer gathered supporters at the Tate Modern and declared: "We did it!" Now we can look forward, walk into the morning, the sunlight of hope, pale at first but getting stronger through the day, shining once again, on a country with the opportunity after 14 years to get its future back," he added.

After leaving aides had pencilled in Mr Starmer's schedule that he would finally get a nap - but one admitted later it wasn't clear whether he actually managed any sleep. But there was a sting in the tail to the Labour's historic election success as it was dealt a bloody nose in a series of defeats at the hands of independents and the Green Party.

The party lost four seats to pro-Gaza candidates, including a shock defeat in the Leicester South seat where senior Labour figure Jonathan Ashworth was ousted. The Labour attack dog was expected to be appointed to the Cabinet but lost out by 979 votes to Shockat Adam , who declared: "This is for the people of Gaza". The party then suffered defeats in Blackburn, Dewsbury and Batley, and in Birmingham Perry Barr to independents.

Over in Islington North, ex-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who was standing as an independent, pulled off a surprise victory, denying Labour candidate Praful Nargund a seat in the Commons. After winning the constituency for an 11th time since 1983, Mr Corbyn urged the Labour leader to ditch the two-child benefit limit. The Tory austerity policy has caused deep divisions in Labour and will inevitably come under the spotlight again now the party is in power.

In Bristol Central, Thangam Debbonaire's loss was already priced in by the Labour leadership. She was unseated by the Green Party's co-leader Carla Denyer who declared in the early hours of Friday morning the city had "made history" in electing her to Parliament.

In all the Greens secured almost 2million votes and four seats in the Commons - the party's best ever performance. There were also near misses for Labour. In Ilford North the incoming Health Secretary Wes Streeting narrowly defeated independent candidate Leanne Mohamad by just 528 votes.

The party's incoming Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood also had her majority cut by 25,000 in Birmingham Ladywood. While Labour will be celebrating its historic election success this weekend, Mr Starmer's team will be attempting to rebuild trust with the voters they lost in these seats in the coming years.