Keir Starmer is set to be Britain’s next prime minister, according to an exit poll on Thursday. His Labour Party is predicted to win a large majority in the parliamentary election. This marks the end of 14 years of Conservative-led government.
The exit poll suggests that Labour will win 410 out of 650 seats in parliament. Meanwhile, the Conservative Party, led by Rishi Sunak, is expected to suffer significant losses. They are forecasted to secure only 131 seats, a sharp drop from the 346 seats they held before the election.
The Conservatives are being punished by voters for several issues, these include a cost-of-living crisis, years of instability, and internal conflicts. Since 2016, the party has had five different prime ministers, which has led to voter dissatisfaction.
In the last six national elections, exit polls have been very accurate, with only one mistake in 2015. That year, the poll predicted a hung parliament, but the Conservatives won a majority. Official results for this election will be released in the next few hours.
Sunak’s Decision to Call an Early Election
Rishi Sunak surprised many by calling the election earlier than necessary, with the Conservatives trailing Labour by about 20 points in opinion polls. He hoped that the gap would narrow during the campaign, but it did not. The campaign was challenging from the start, with Sunak getting drenched by rain during his announcement outside Downing Street.
Sunak’s campaign faced several setbacks, aides and Conservative candidates were involved in a gambling scandal over suspicious bets on the election date. Sunak also angered veterans by leaving D-Day commemorative events in France early for a TV interview, which raised questions about his political judgment.
While there is no overwhelming enthusiasm for Labour leader Keir Starmer, his message of change resonated with voters. Unlike in France, where the far-right National Rally party made gains recently, British voters seem to be moving towards the centre-left.
As Britain waits for the official results, it appears that Keir Starmer and the Labour Party are set for a significant victory.
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