Campaigning for the United Kingdom’s general elections concluded just hours before voting was scheduled to begin nationwide on July 4. These elections are anticipated to mark the end of the Conservative Party’s current tenure. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is seeking another term, while the opposition Labour Party is aiming for a sweeping victory.
PM Rishi Sunak maintained that the Conservative Party is still “fighting hard,” although one of his close allies admitted that the Tories are heading for a “landslide defeat” in the elections.
According to Reuters, opinion polls indicate that the centre-left Labour Party is poised for a significant win in Thursday’s vote, potentially ending 14 years of Conservative rule. The election results are expected to be announced in the early hours of Friday, with polls suggesting that Labour Party leader Keir Starmer will move into the prime minister’s 10 Downing Street office.
UK Elections 2024: Key Details
Britons will vote on July 4 from 7 am to 10 pm local time. There are 650 constituencies in the United Kingdom, and opinion polls predict a decisive victory for the Labour Party. The results of the 2024 elections will be declared in the early hours of Friday, July 5.
After the results are announced, the leader of the party with the most votes, likely Keir Starmer, will be appointed Prime Minister. Following the vote count, the monarch of the UK, currently King Charles III, will invite the leader of the majority party to form a new government.
The current parliament was dissolved on May 30 following the announcement of the election dates.
YouGov’s final seat projection, released on Wednesday, suggests that Labour is on track to win a majority of 212 seats, the largest for any party in modern history. Faced with predictions of their worst-ever result, the Conservatives have focused on damage control, aiming to retain enough seats to serve as an effective opposition to a Labour government.
The Labour Party’s campaign has emphasized public frustration with the frequent changes in prime ministers during the Conservative term, Brexit, the faltering economy, and numerous scandals involving top Conservative leaders.