Britain is electing a new parliament, with polling stations across the country opening at 8am and an early forecast calling for polls to close at 11pm. Experts are expecting a shake-up, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives trailing Labour in the polls by around 20 percentage points, with leader Keir Starmer likely to move to Downing Street.
Over 46 million people are eligible to vote. All seats in the House of Commons are allocated by direct mandate. The candidate with the most votes in any of the 650 constituencies always wins. The absolute majority in the House of Commons is 326 seats. Projections predict that Labour will win over 400 seats. This puts the party on course for the largest majority in the House of Commons in about 190 years.
For the Tories it’s all about damage limitation
Experts stressed that the Conservatives were only interested in damage limitation. In hourly messages, Sunak warned of a “supermajority” for Labour, without widespread oversight. There is no such “supermajority” in the British parliamentary system. It makes no difference to legislation whether a party has 20 or 200 more seats than the other parties combined. On X, Sunak also claimed that the Social Democrats were planning tax increases across the board.
Starmer promises ‘era of hope and opportunity’
Labour leader Starmer rejects the accusation. The 61-year-old announced a “new era of hope and opportunity”. “This is a great nation with limitless possibilities”, Starmer said on the eve of the election. “Britons deserve a government that matches their ambitions. Today we have the chance to start rebuilding Britain together with Labour.” There are many reasons for the Conservatives’ decline. Above all, numerous scandals and affairs, especially under former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, have destroyed the people’s confidence in the Tory party, which governed for 14 years.
The Liberal Democrats’ performance is also eagerly awaited, and by some estimates they even have a chance of replacing the Conservatives as the largest opposition group. Nigel Farage’s right-wing populist Reform UK party, which once played a key role in pushing for Brexit, is likely to enter the House of Commons for the first time. Experts expect the former Brexit Party to cost the Conservatives many votes on the right.
King Charles III orders the formation of a government
After the polls close and the forecast is made at 11 p.m., the individual constituencies are counted until Friday morning. King Charles III then officially gives the new prime minister the order to form a government.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
