As most of the electoral seats are declared and the Labour party secures a significant majority in parliament, Keir Starmer is the new prime minister. The Tories have seen one of their worst performances in political history with several cabinet ministers losing their seats to challenges from Labour and the Liberal Democrats.

It’s also great news for female representation in politics as women are set to have a greater presence in the House of Commons with 242 female MPs (of a total 650 MPs) voted into power – 22 more than the previous general election in 2019.

Some of the newly-elected women MPs include Green MPs Sian Berry, Carla Denyer and Ellie Chowns as well as Labour’s Miatta Fahnbulleh and Sarah Sackman and Lib Dem MP Charlotte Cane.

In 2010, less than a quarter of MPs were women. By 2019, they made up just a third of the Commons but now, this new cohort of MPs has meant we’re getting closer to a 50/50 parliament.

As Labour’s Diane Abbott was re-elected in Hackney North and Stoke Newington, she now becomes the “Mother of the House” – an honorary title given to the longest-serving female MP.

Starmer is currently still forming his cabinet, but we have already seen Rachel Reeves become the country’s first female chancellor of the exchequer and Angela Rayner appointed as deputy prime minister.

When talking to Stylist in March for our Answer The Question series, Reeves said: “The job has existed for 800 years and a woman has never been chancellor in the UK. I’d love the chance to change that and be the first woman chancellor.”

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