Labour Set for Landslide Victory
Britain held a general election on July 4, widely expected to see Labour secure a landslide victory and end the Conservative Party’s 14-year rule. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s decision to call the election early appears likely to backfire, with polls consistently predicting a heavy defeat for his party. Labour, led by Keir Starmer, aimed for its first win since 2005.
UK election- Polling and Expectations
Polls and Voting Times
Polls opened at 7:00 a.m. (local time) and will close at 10:00 p.m. (local time), when exit polls will give a strong indication of the final result. When final results are announced on Friday morning, the accuracy of the polls and the fate of Rishi Sunak’s government will be known. The 44-year-old British Prime Minister, the first person of Indian descent to hold the position, heads the fifth in a series of Conservative governments that have spanned 14 years.
Campaign Themes
Labour had fashioned its campaign around the theme ‘change’. “Vote change,” Labour leader Keir Starmer said on Thursday. “Today, Britain’s future is on the ballot,” he wrote, posting a photograph of himself with his wife, Victoria Starmer on social media site X.
Reactions and Campaign Strategies
Sunak’s Efforts
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak insisted he was still “fighting hard” despite one of his closest allies conceding that the Tories were heading for an “extraordinary landslide” defeat on Thursday. Mr. Sunak sought to hammer home his oft-repeated warnings that a Labour government would mean tax rises and weaker national security- jibes that Labour has branded a desperate attempt to cling to power.
Conservative Warnings
The Tories also stepped up their warnings to voters to stop the prospect of Labour winning a “supermajority”, which Labour fears is intended to hit turnout.
Conclusion
Millions went to the polls in the U.K. on Thursday, to vote for 650 MPs in the House of Commons, with the Labour Party projected to win a sizeable, if not historically large majority of more than 400 seats, according to several poll projections. The final results will determine the accuracy of these polls and the fate of Rishi Sunak’s government.
