Record Number of New MPs Sworn into House of Commons

In a historic moment, new Members of Parliament were sworn into the House of Commons on Tuesday, July 9, following the general election. The Labour Party secured a significant victory, with 411 MPs, while the Conservatives formed the opposition with 121 seats. The Liberal Democrats claimed 72 seats, followed by the SNP with nine, Reform UK with five, and the Green Party with four. Among the notable MPs sworn in was Diane Abbott, who earned the symbolic title of Mother of the House for her long-standing service since being elected in 1987 as the first black woman in the Commons. The youngest MP in the new parliament is believed to be Sam Carling, a 22-year-old Labour representative for North West Cambridgeshire, narrowly winning against Conservative candidate Shailesh Vara. The Commons speaker, Lindsay Hoyle, is set to be re-elected with Labour's support. The parliament will formally open on July 17 with the king's speech outlining the government's proposed policies and legislation for the upcoming session. The new intake of MPs has seen a record number of female representatives, with 693 women elected to fill all 650 seats in the Commons. The diversity of the new parliament is highlighted by a record number of 90 minority ethnic MPs elected, marking an increase of 24 from previous elections. The Labour Party leads in female representation with 46% of MPs being women, followed by the Liberal Democrats at 45%, Conservatives at 24%, and SNP at 11%. The report also notes that the second most common first name in the Commons is Sarah, with women making up 12 out of 26 cabinet and cabinet-attending ministers in Starmer's gender-equal cabinet. The election results have brought in a wave of new faces, with 132 MPs from the last parliament choosing not to stand, including 75 Conservatives. The swearing-in ceremony saw MPs being sworn in by order of seniority, starting with cabinet members and followed by shadow cabinet members, privy counsellors, ministers, and backbenchers based on length of service. The new parliament is poised to address key issues and policies as it embarks on its legislative session, reflecting a diverse and inclusive representation of the UK populace.