Sir Keir Starmer is re-elected as the MP for Holborn and St Pancras

By CAITLIN MASKELL and DAN CARRIER

IT wasn’t a surprise result, but this moment in history was one to savour for Sir Keir Starmer and Labour campaigners in his Holborn and St Pancras constituency.

He will no doubt speak to the nation many times over the next few days as the country’s new prime minister, but his first task was to take to the stage at Camden Council’s 5PS offices in King’s Cross for a declaration of his own local result at around 3am today (Friday).

The figures may have been a bit of a daze at that stage of the morning. They actually showed Mr Starmer had finished up with a much smaller tally of votes in what is his fourth victory in the seat.

It did not go unnoticed that his winning return of 18,884 votes was a significant drop from the 36,000 he had secured in 2019. Protests over Labour’s approach to Gaza, as well as Mr Starmer’s tough-talking on immigration were offered as the possible tensions behind these figures.

But this was Mr Starmer moment – the day he became prime minister alongside a team of more than 400 newly elected Labour MPs.

He flashed one smile after another as he took to the lectern to deliver a victor’s speech, knowing that the much predicted Tory implosion was playing out all around the country.

Rishi Sunak looked a beaten man as he held his seat in Yorkshire, but the threat looming from Reform was spelt out as the Nigel Farage was elected in Clacton and Richard Tice won in Boston and Skegness among five seats.

A shake of hands after the election result was confirmed

Mr Starmer thanked Labour’s ranks of Camden councillors and members and his wife, Victoria, for “keeping me totally grounded”.

Mr Starmer, who first succeeded the late Frank Dobson as the area’s MP in Holborn and St Pancras in 2015, said: “Service starts in this neighbour­hood. The groups, the local organisations who serve week in week out. And hope starts with that one kid from Somers Town who dares to believe that the future belongs to her.

“And with Labour it will because I promise this: whether you voted for me or not I will serve every person in this constituency – the mothers I’ve sat with who have lost children to knife crime, the pensioners who can’t get the doctors appointments they desperately need and local business who’ve struggled so far to keep their head above water.”

He added: “I will speak out for you, have your back, fight your corner every single day. Because tonight the people here and around the country have spoken and they are ready for change to end the politics of performance and return to politics as public service.

“The change begins right here, because this is your democracy, your community, and your future. You have voted and it is now time for us to deliver.”

The overnight totting-up had been speedier and smoother than normal after bringing in 320 counters – ­­­twice as many as previous elections.  And there were more than twice as many film crews and reporters watching on.

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The Good Morning Britain presenter Kate Garraway shouted “good morning prime minister” as the candidates queued for the declaration. Others who called out were less friendly, with two people told to stop shouting out “free Palestine”.

Former Labour councillor Robert Latham, a major donor to Mr Starmer and a colleague during the new prime minister’s past legal career, was at the count and recalled how he had raised the idea of a career in politics over their regular games in squash.

“The world was his oyster,” said Mr Latham, referring to Mr Starmer’s choices after his time as the director of public prosecutions had come to an end.

“He had three options in front of him. He could be a high court bencher. He was also being approached to join the House of Lords. The third option was to go to the Commons. He thought he could achieve more in public service by becoming an MP.

“I told him not to try to be selected for a ‘Red Wall’ seat. I told him to wait until a seat in London was available – and we knew Frank Dobson was going to step down in the nearish future.”

Mr Starmer – the UK’s first Arsenal-supporting PM – was followed onto the 5PS stage by candidates for the redrawn Hampstead and Highgate constituency. That was held by Tulip Siddiq/