British political leaders scrambled for votes late Wednesday in the final hours of an election campaign poised to bring about a return of a Labour government after 14 years under Conservative rule. Some surveys indicated that Labour is poised to surpass the record 418 seats it won in 1997 under ex-leader Tony Blair.
In the UK's electoral system, voters elect representatives across 650 constituencies using a first-past-the-post system. The party that wins at least 326 seats forms the government, with its leader becoming the prime minister. If no party gains a majority, the current prime minister typically has the first chance to negotiate a coalition government.
The major political parties are the Conservative Party under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the Labour Party led by Keir Starmer, the Liberal Democrats led by Ed Davey, Reform UK led by Nigel Farage, the Scottish National Party (SNP) led by John Swinney, and the Green Party co-led by Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsay.
Key issues in the elections include economic stagnation, a housing crisis, high living costs, immigration challenges, and foreign policy debates. Over the past 15 years, income growth in the UK has been the slowest in generations. Hence, the Conservative and Labour parties have proposed contrasting strategies to revive the economy.
Labour leader Keir Starmer has outlined intentions to overhaul the National Health Service, housing sector, energy industry, and other critical sectors. Additionally, his party plans to fund these initiatives by raising 7.4 billion pounds (USD 9.4 billion) through tax increases.
In contrast, the Conservatives have pledged substantial tax cuts of 17 billion pounds (USD 21.6 billion) annually. This includes reducing the main rate of National Insurance contributions by 2 percentage points and a mandatory salary tax.
The Labour Party's election campaign focused on public dissatisfaction with the frequent turnover of prime ministers within the Conservative Party, Brexit challenges, economic decline, and various scandals involving top Conservative officials.
On the other hand, Rishi Sunak underscored immigration concerns and prioritized economic recovery as his primary campaign theme. The incumbent prime minister argued that a change in leadership could potentially harm the economy once more.
The current parliament was dissolved on May 30 following the announcement of election dates.
