Britons were voting on Thursday in a parliamentary election that is expected to bring Keir Starmer’s Labour Party to power, sweeping away Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives after 14 often turbulent years.
Opinion polls put Starmer’s centre-left party on course for a landslide victory but also suggest many voters simply want change after a period of infighting and turmoil under the Conservatives that led to five prime ministers in eight years.
This means Starmer, a 61-year-old former human rights lawyer, could take office with one of the biggest to-do lists in British history but without a groundswell of support or the financial resources to tackle it.
Today, Britain can begin a new chapter, Starmer told voters in a statement on Thursday. We cannot afford five more years under the Conservatives. But change will only happen if you vote Labour.
The country’s 40,000 polling stations opened at 6am GMT (7am).
Sunak, 44, voted early with his wife, Akshata Murty, in the electoral district of Richmond, northern England, that he represents in parliament.
Having called the election months earlier than expected, Sunak has in recent weeks abandoned his call for a fifth consecutive Conservative victory, switching instead to warning of the dangers of an unchallenged Labour Party in parliament.
Sunak issued a fresh rallying cry to voters for election day, saying a Labour government would hike taxes, hamper economic recovery and leave Britain more vulnerable at a time of geopolitical tension, charges Labour deny.
Punishing governmentsVoting ends at 10pm (11pm) when an exit poll will give the first indication of the outcome. Detailed official results are expected in the early hours of Friday.
If the opinion polls are correct, Britain will follow other European countries in punishing their governments after a cost of living crisis that stemmed from the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Unlike France it looks set to move to the centre left and not further right.
Labour has held a poll lead of 15-20 points since shortly after Sunak was chosen by his legislators in October 2022 to replace Liz Truss who resigned after 44 days, having sparked a bond market meltdown and a collapse in sterling.
Modelling by pollsters predicts Labour is on course for one of the biggest UK election victories yet, with a likely majority in parliament that would exceed those achieved by Tony Blair or Margaret Thatcher, though a high number of voters are undecided and turnout could be low.
Such an outcome would have been unthinkable at Britain’s most recent election in 2019 when Boris Johnson won a large victory for the Conservatives, with politicians predicting that the party would be in power for at least 10 years as Labour was finished.
Starmer, the former chief prosecutor of England and Wales, took over Labour from veteran socialist Jeremy Corbyn after it suffered its worst defeat for 84 years in 2019, and dragged it back to the centre.
The Conservatives in Westminster have simultaneously imploded, ripped apart by scandal under Johnson and the rancour that followed the vote to leave the EU, and a failure to deliver on the demands of its broad 2019 voter base.
Sunak, the man now believed to have preserved the economic heritage he inherited, has faced numerous blunders during his election campaign. From contentious election gambling to controversial statements, these issues have weakened his re-election path.
In a contrasting move, Nigel Farage’s Reform UK has garnered significant right-wing support, complicating matters for the Conservatives. Additionally, the Liberal Democrats are expected to gain traction in their affluent strongholds in the south of England.
Labour is also eyeing a resurgence in Scotland following the Scottish National Party’s internal turmoil due to a funding scandal.
Even with a potential Labour victory looming, challenges await Starmer in addressing public service strains and economic hardships. Notably, he has emphasized the need for international investments to tackle these hurdles effectively.
Sunak, on the other hand, maintains that his economic stewardship has set the country on a positive trajectory, cautioning against jeopardizing this progress by handing over power to Labour.
The election results will provide a pivotal moment for the UK, shaping the direction of the country for years to come. As Britons cast their votes, the outcome will not only impact domestic policies but also send ripples across the international stage.
