Politics Forecast: Clear election victory for Labour in the UK
According to a forecast, Keir Starmer's Labour Party has clearly won the general election in the UK. The 61-year-old is therefore likely to succeed Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, whose Conservative Party suffered a heavy defeat.
04.07.2024, 23:24
SDA
According to the forecast, the Labour Party will win 410 of the 650 seats. The Conservatives have 131, but it is likely to be hours before all the votes are counted. But there is no longer any doubt about the most important result of the election: the 14-year dominance of the Conservative Tories has come to an end.
Less enthusiasm for Labour than exasperation with the Tories
The predicted result is not surprising: polls have long predicted a clear victory for the Social Democrats. In the election campaign, Sunak, whose party had to contend with mishaps and a scandal involving illegal betting on the election date, was barely able to catch up.
According to renowned pollster John Curtice from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, however, the clear outcome of the election was not primarily due to enthusiasm for Labour, but rather disgruntlement with the previous governing party. Sunak was already the third head of government of his party in the last legislative period, which was characterized by economic stagnation and a sharp rise in the cost of living.
Starmer should be standing in Downing Street as the new Prime Minister as early as Friday
Labor leader Starmer had led the Labour Party back to the political center in recent years, after it had moved far to the left under his predecessor Jeremy Corbyn. He also took decisive action against anti-Semitic tendencies within his own ranks.
At the same time, the previous leader of the opposition remained rather vague in many areas, for example on plans for a possible rapprochement with the European Union. Commentators compared his cautious manner to carrying a porcelain vase from the Chinese Ming dynasty.
The change of government in the UK will be swift. As soon as the official final result is known, there will be a handover of power. Starmer is expected to be appointed by King Charles III to form a government as early as Friday and then set out his vision for the UK in a speech in Downing Street.
