'It was essential to get rid of this government': Irish in London celebrate new Labour dawn

While no one the Irish Examiner spoke to on Thursday night was under any illusions about the mammoth task facing Keir Starmer, nothing could dim the party mood, writes Sean Murray

'Keir Starmer has the opportunity now to demonstrate to people they were right to put their trust in him.'

“Things... can only get better.”

It set the tone when a rain-soaked Rishi Sunak announced a general election, in what now feels like a very long six weeks ago. The D:Ream song that Tony Blair had adopted as his campaign theme back in 1997 drowned out the speech Sunak hoped would kickstart a Tory resurgence that would keep him in Number 10.