Record female MPs elected in UK

The UK had its 2024 General Elections, resulting in significant changes. One notable outcome was the election of a record number of female MPs. When the House of Commons returns, at least 242 female MPs will be part of the new government. This breaks the previous record of 220 female MPs set in 2019.

In 2019, women made up 34% of the MPs, the highest proportion in the parliament’s history. Before that, there were 207 female MPs in 2017 and 196 in 2015.

However, the elections were tough for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s cabinet. Many key ministers, including the Defence Secretary, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, Justice Secretary Alex Chalk, and Penny Mordaunt, lost their seats. This was the worst performance by an incumbent administration since 1997 when seven cabinet ministers lost their seats.

Labour Party leader Keir Starmer achieved a landslide victory, ending the Conservative Party’s 14-year rule. The Labour Party won 412 seats in the 650-seat House of Commons. The Conservatives were reduced to just 121 seats, their worst performance in nearly 200 years.

The elections ended a turbulent period for the Conservatives, characterized by Brexit, a pandemic, and political and financial instability that saw three Prime Ministers in one year. Starmer celebrated the victory with supporters, and the UK will now have a new, highly representative government.

Re-reported from the article originally published in Firstpost.