Final spurt in the election campaign: Labour clear favorite in UK general election
When looking at the surveys, it's quite clear that the Labour Party is heading for an extraordinary landslide victory, which this country may have never seen before, stated Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride to GB News.
Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman wrote in the "Daily Telegraph" that her party should prepare for "reality and frustration" in opposition. The Conservatives had missed the opportunity to limit immigration or cut taxes, emphasized Braverman, who is known as a contender for the Conservative Party leadership. Now it's time for a "ruthlessly honest analysis" to decide "if our party even still exists".
The latest survey predicts Labour a historic electoral success. According to the opinion research institute Survation, the party could come to 484 of the total 650 seats in the London House of Commons and thus surpass the landslide victory of 1997 under party leader Tony Blair again. After years marked by Brexit, Corona, economic crisis, and countless scandals, it seems voters are looking for a change.
Polling stations open on Thursday at 7.00 am (local time; 8.00 am CET) and close at 10.00 pm (11.00 pm CET). Voters have one vote: They cross the name of a candidate in their constituency on the ballot paper. The results are expected in the early hours of Friday.
Labour leader Starmer is thus on course to move into Downing Street Number 10 and unseat the Conservatives after 14 years in power. This was hardly expected a few years ago: The 61-year-old is a latecomer to politics, starting his career as a lawyer. He was elected as an MP only nine years ago. In contrast to the popularity and charisma of party leader Blair, he is far removed.
During the campaign, Starmer called for a return to seriousness in British politics, promised long-term economic growth, and presented himself as a servant of the country. "Country first, then politics," he emphasized repeatedly. In the final sprint of his campaign, he once again appealed for support for his party: "If you want changes, you have to vote for it," said Starmer to reporters on Wednesday. He considered "nothing as a given."
On the other hand, the Conservatives primarily conducted a negative campaign, warning against tax increases under a Labour government and announcing a tougher approach regarding migration and security. They received unexpected support on Tuesday from former Prime Minister Boris Johnson. At a gathering in London, he urged the party not to consider the predicted electoral defeat as a "foregone conclusion."
"I know it's not that," Johnson, who had remained silent in the campaign so far, emphasized. His relationship with incumbent Sunak is complicated: As a former finance minister, Sunak was one of several ministers who resigned in protest against Johnson's scandals and forced him to resign.
A Conservative defeat could also be aggravated by the right-wing populist Reform UK party of Nigel Farage on Thursday. The former Brexit Party is sending over 600 candidates into the race, including party leader Farage, who is attempting to enter the House of Commons for the eighth time.
Both major parties are favored by the first-past-the-post voting system - Farage aims to poach Conservative votes and position himself for the 2029 election. During the campaign, Reform UK primarily focused on the migration issue.
- Despite the predicted landslide victory for Labour, Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman expressed concerns in the "Daily Telegraph," arguing that the Conservatives missed opportunities to limit immigration and cut taxes.
- The Coronavirus pandemic, Brexit, economic crisis, and numerous scandals seem to have made voters in Great Britain favor a change, with the Labour Party gaining favor in recent surveys.
- The "Daily Telegraph" article by Suella Braverman urged her party to undergo a "ruthlessly honest analysis" to determine if the Conservative Party still exists in its current form.
- Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, is poised to move into 10 Downing Street and unseat the Conservatives, who have been in power for 14 years, following the parliamentary election.
- In contrast to the charismatic Tony Blair, who led Labour to a landslide victory in 1997, Starmer is a latecomer to politics, starting as a lawyer and becoming an MP only nine years ago.
- During the election campaign, Starmer promised long-term economic growth, emphasizing the need for seriousness in British politics and positioning himself as a servant of the country.
- Boris Johnson, the former Prime Minister, made a surprising appearance at a gathering in London, urging the Conservatives not to consider an electoral defeat as a "foregone conclusion."
- The Conservative Party faces a potential challenge from the right-wing populist Reform UK party led by Nigel Farage, who aims to enter the House of Commons for the eighth time and poach Conservative votes for the 2029 election.
- With the first-past-the-post voting system favoring the major parties, far-right Reform UK has primarily focused on the migration issue during the election campaign, attempting to position itself as a viable alternative for voters disillusioned with the larger parties.
