Britons start voting in election expected to propel Labour to power

Britons began voting on Thursday (July 4) 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.

 

The country's 40,000 polling stations opened at 0600 GMT and polls were due to close at 10 p.m. (2100 GMT) when an exit poll will give the first sign of the outcome. Detailed official results are expected in the early hours of Friday (July 5).

 

The UK's House of Commons will house the 650 members of parliament elected in the country's general election to be held on Thursday (July 4).

 

The UK is divided into 650 constituencies. In each, voters elect a local candidate who will then take up a seat in parliament. Voters choose one candidate on their ballot paper and the candidate with the most votes wins.

 

Candidates typically represent a larger political party.

 

To secure a majority in parliament, a party must win at least 326 seats. The leader of the party which crosses that line becomes prime minister and forms a government.

 

Parliament is due to return on July 9. The Speaker of the House of Commons - parliament's lower chamber - will be elected from among members of parliament (MPs).

 

Each MP will then in turn swear the oath of allegiance to the king or make a solemn affirmation. This usually takes a few days.