Labour Party is projected for a historic victory as UK voters head to polls

Thursday’s general election in Britain was predicted to be a landslide victory for the opposition Labour party, ending nearly fifteen years of Conservative dominance. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak unexpectedly announced that the country would hold its first national election six months ahead of schedule, marking the first since Boris Johnson’s clear victory for the Tories in 2019.

His risk is certain to backfire badly, since surveys for his right-wing party have indicated a significant loss over the course of the last two years and the six-week campaign. In doing so, it would very likely place 61-year-old Labour leader Keir Starmer in Downing Street as the head of the biggest party in parliament.

Centre-left Labour is expected to win its first general election since 2005 with record margins, according to a rush of election-eve surveys. But Starmer wasn’t taking anything for granted when he urged voters not to stay at home. “Britain’s future is on the ballot,” he told the crowd. “But change will only happen if you vote for it.”

Campaign and Election Day

Voting commenced at 7:00 a.m. (0600 GMT) in almost 40,000 voting places across the country, ranging from church halls, community centres, and schools to more unconventional locations like pubs and even a ship.

Sunak voted early in his Richmond and Northallerton seat in Yorkshire, northern England. Starmer voted about two hours later in the north London seat.

The 32-year-old writer Ianthe Jacob said, “I just moved back from Australia and I’ve got the feeling that everything has turned wrong in this country and a lot of people are not satisfied,” following her vote in Hackney, east London.

“I don’t really trust any of them but will vote,” 22-year-old student Judith said to AFP in Saint Albans, a city north of London. Many of my friends share this sentiment.

After 10:00 p.m. (2100 GMT), voting ends. Then, commentators reveal the results of exit polls, which usually paint a fair picture of the performance of the major parties.
Overnight, results from all 650 of the UK’s constituencies are being tallied. As dawn breaks on Friday, the winning party is predicted to have secured 326 seats, which is the minimum number needed for a parliamentary majority.

Potential Fallout for the Tories

Surveys indicate that after chaotic 14 years in power, voters might punish the Tories and remove several government ministers. There is speculation that Sunak himself may be at risk, potentially making him the first sitting prime minister to lose his seat in a general election.

“I understand people’s frustrations with our party,” Sunak acknowledged. “But tomorrow’s vote is about the future.”

Sunak, 44, is perceived to have run a poor campaign, with criticism over his early departure from D-Day commemorations in France as a standout moment.

In a significant development, The Sun newspaper switched support to Labour, following endorsements from the Financial Times, the Economist, The Sunday Times, The Guardian, and The Daily Mirror.

Meanwhile, multiple surveys indicated a possible record victory for Labour, with the Tories facing their worst-ever result and the centrist Liberal Democrats resurging in third place. Projections suggest Labour could secure over 430 seats, surpassing Tony Blair’s 1997 result. The Conservatives could fall to fewer than 127 seats. The Lib Dems are expected to increase their seats from 15, and Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party may also win a few seats.

If the predictions hold true, Sunak would resign as prime minister and the leader of the Labour party, Starmer, would become the new prime minister. Starmer would deliver a speech and make ministerial appointments in Downing Street, capping a remarkable rise for the former human rights lawyer and chief prosecutor elected as an MP in 2015. He has pledged a “decade of national renewal” but faces challenges in revitalizing public services and the economy.

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