THE elections in Britain are now over. Sir Keir Starmer is the new Prime Minister following the landslide victory of the Labour Party. Rishi Sunak became Prime Minister following the implosion of Liz Truss’s 45-day stint in Downing Street.

However, he failed to get the support of the electorate for another full term. In a landmark victory, the Labour Party won nearly two-thirds of the parliamentary seats even though it would have done so with just about one-third of the popular votes.

Under Britain’s ‘first past the post’ electoral system, parties can win seats if their candidate secures the highest number of votes, regardless of whether or not that amount constitutes a majority of the votes cast. Before 1964, the electoral system in the then-colony of British Guiana was fashioned after the constituency model.

There are a few notable facts about the British elections. The first is the massive victory of the Labour Party, with Sir Keir becoming the first leader from the centre-left Labour Party to win a UK national election since Tony Blair, who won three consecutive terms since 1997.

The second is the almost seamless transition between the Conservative and the Labour administrations. Of significance for Guyana and the wider Caribbean is the appointment of David Lammy as Foreign Secretary. Lammy has Guyanese roots, with both of his parents of Guyanese origin.

Following his appointment, President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali conveyed his congratulations to the new Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs. In his official Facebook account, President Ali recounted a conversation with Lammy.

“I had the pleasure of speaking with the UK’s new Foreign Secretary, the Right Honourable David Lammy. I congratulated him and his government and assured him of Guyana’s strong friendship and partnership,” President Ali posted.

Guyana and Britain have had strong political, economic and cultural ties over the decades. Because of our colonial history, Guyana inherited the Westminster model of politics and governance. Until 1964, the political system in the then colony of British Guiana was fashioned after the constituency or first-past-the-post model. That system was changed to that of Proportional Representation (PR) in the 1964 elections in a move designed to prevent the PPP from attaining political office and eventually taking the country to political independence.

All of that now, as it were, is water under the bridge. Relations between Guyana and Britain deepened, especially following the return of democracy and democratic rule on October 5, 1992. Britain, the United States and other Western nations played a key role in the return of democracy to the country in 1992 and again in the March 2020 General and Regional elections when attempts were made once again to derail the democratic process by the then APNU+AFC coalition in collaboration with rogue elements from the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

That strengthening of bonds between Guyana and Britain is likely to continue under the new Labour administration, especially in terms of support for Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, consolidation of our democratic institutions and economic and financial support to our ever-growing economy.

In terms of foreign policy, support for Ukraine in the war with Russia and the strengthening of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) will most probably continue especially in the context of a rise in global tension.
It is clear from the results of the British parliamentary elections that the British people voted overwhelmingly for change in free, fair and transparent elections. It remains to be seen how much, and to what extent the expectations of the British people will be met under the new Labour Party Government.