UK General Elections: 46.5 mn voters to decide Rishi Sunak's fate

Voting commenced on Thursday (July 4) in United Kingdom as the country headed to the polls for the first time in over five years. Attention is focused on whether Prime Minister Rishi Sunak can withstand the challenge from Labour Party leader Keir Starmer.

There are approximately 40,000 polling stations across the UK, catering to 46 million eligible voters. The polling booths will remain open until 10 PM BST.

Conservatives

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Rishi Sunak, who has been prime minister since October 2022, is leading his party into the election.

Sunak, inherited a Conservative Party and an economy in turmoil after Liz Truss's premiership. The Oxford graduate and former Goldman Sachs hedge fund manager is Britain's first leader of color and the first Hindu to become prime minister.

The Conservatives are promising to delivering a stronger economy and cutting taxes by some 17 billion pounds per year. Increasing public health spending above inflation and boosting defense spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2030.

The party also pledges to cap immigration numbers and remove some asylum-seekers to Rwanda.

Labour

Keir Starmer, the 61-year-old lawyer, a former chief prosecutor for England and Wales, is the current choice to be Britain's next leader. Starmer has made significant efforts to distance his party from the more overtly socialist policies of former leader Jeremy Corbyn and to address internal divisions. While critics describe him as unexciting and lacking ambition, Labour's popularity has surged under his leadership.

Rishi Sunak called for snapelections

Rishi Sunak called a snap general election for July 4, 2024, despite the next election not being required until December 2024.

This decision left political analysts puzzled, as Sunak’s reasoning remains a mystery.

In the last general election, the opposition Labour Party suffered its worst defeat since 1935. However, it has since rebuilt itself under the leadership of Keir Starmer.

Notably, Thursday’s vote comes after a six-week campaign in which all major parties canvassed the country for support. Much of the debate have focused around the economy, the cost of living, the state of Britain’s public services, tax and immigration.

Since the last general election in 2019, which Boris Johnson won by a landslide margin, Britain has had three Conservative prime ministers.

Sunak, Starmer, Nigel Farage - one of the most well-known champions of Brexit- and the leaders of all other major parties are expected to make appearances at their respective local polling stations throughout the day.

It is worth mentioning here that, approximately 46.5 million people are eligible to vote in this election, casting their ballots in 650 separate constituencies across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. A party needs 326 seats to form a majority government.

Also Read:In UK, with no NOTA option, unhappy Britons resort to spoiling the ballot paper

An exit poll from UK broadcasters will project the seat totalssoon after polls shut at 10 p.m. local time (5 p.m. ET), while counting will take place throughout the night and into Friday morning.

(With inputs from agencies)