Labour Party set to end 14 years of Conservative rule in UK general election landslide, exit poll projects
Labour was forecast to win 410 seats, while the Conservatives will drop to just 131 seats, according to the exit poll, a rejection of the ruling party by Britain’s electorate that had been anticipated for months.
The exit poll was conducted by Ipsos for the BBC, ITV and Sky, and has historically been an accurate barometer of how the country has voted. Votes will be counted throughout the night, with Starmer likely to replace Rishi Sunak as prime minister on Friday.
The expected results fall short of some, more dramatic predictions made by pollsters during the campaign. But they mark a severe collapse by the Tories since the last election, in 2019, when former Prime Minister Boris Johnson led the party to a landslide victory.
Since then the party has descended into a bitter internal war, slumping from leader to leader and scandal to scandal. Starmer pinned his disciplined campaign on a one-word promise – “Change” – and benefited from a woeful Tory pitch that failed to reverse the public’s deep reservations about their performance.
The Liberal Democrats were forecast to win 61 seats, according to the exit poll, and will return as Britain’s third-strongest party in Westminster. Reform UK, a right-wing populist group, were forecast 13 seats and the Green Party were forecast two.
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The forecasted victory for Labour in the UK general election is significant on a global scale, as it signals a shift in political power in the world's fifth-largest economy. Despite the Tories facing numerous challenges since their 2019 victory, the UK under new leadership may have a different approach in its international relations.
