Politics Parliamentary election in Great Britain: Prime Minister Sunak threatens to quit
Great Britain is facing a historic vote. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his Conservative Party are facing a heavy defeat in the general election.
04.07.2024, 04:27
SDA
Keir Starmer from the Labour Party is likely to become the new head of government - all the polls point to this. This would end 14 years of Conservative government. Polling stations open at 8.00 am and close at 11.00 pm (CEST).
The polling institute Yougov has calculated that Labour will win the largest majority for any party since 1832. This would give the Social Democrats 431 of the 650 seats in the House of Commons. The Conservatives would slump to 102 seats. "What we're looking at is unprecedented in British political history," Yougov expert Patrick English told Sky News.
Starmer called for a change. Britain could not afford five more years of Conservative government. Under his leadership, the country would open a new chapter, the 61-year-old announced.
The performance of the Liberal Democrats, who according to some calculations even have a chance of replacing the Conservatives as the largest opposition group, is also eagerly awaited. The right-wing populist Reform UK party led by Nigel Farage, who once played a key role in driving Brexit forward, is likely to enter the House of Commons for the first time. Experts expect the former Brexit party to cost the Conservatives many votes on the right.
More than 46 million people are eligible to vote, each of whom has one vote. All seats in the House of Commons are allocated by direct mandate. The candidate with the most votes in one of the 650 constituencies always wins. The absolute majority in the House of Commons is 326 seats.
Conservatives focus on damage limitation
Labour Minister Mel Stride admitted on the right-wing channel GB News that Labour was heading for a landslide victory "the likes of which this country has probably never seen". The looming collapse for the Tories could see several current members of the government lose their seats. Even Prime Minister Sunak is fearing for his seat, wrote the Guardian newspaper. The 44-year-old's constituency in northern England is actually considered a safe bet for the Conservatives. It would be the first time in history that an incumbent prime minister has been thrown out of the House of Commons. In this case, it is ruled out that Sunak will retain the party chairmanship.
But even if the current head of government re-enters parliament, the party is likely to reorganize itself. With the moderate cabinet member Penny Mordaunt as well as the hardliners Kemi Badenoch, the Minister of Economic Affairs, and Suella Braverman, once Minister of the Interior, several candidates are warming up. Braverman emphasized in a guest article for the Telegraph newspaper: "It's over and we need to prepare for the reality and frustration of the opposition."
Sunak is combative. If only 130,000 wavering voters in around 100 contested constituencies cast their vote for the Conservatives, the Tory result would already look different, he said.
However, the 44-year-old's statements rather pointed to damage limitation. Labour must not get a "super majority", warned Sunak. In the British political system, however, it does not matter whether a party has a 10 or 200 seat lead in parliament.
Media backs Labour leader Starmer
In the meantime, many media outlets have also spoken out in favor of Labour. Most recently, the tabloid newspaper "Sun", which predominantly represents conservative positions, emphasized that Starmer must be given a chance.
There are many reasons for the Conservatives' decline. The party underestimated the consequences of Brexit and failed to solve the economic problems caused by leaving the EU. Numerous scandals and affairs also played a major role, especially under former Prime Minister Boris Johnson. This destroyed just as much trust as the chaotic economic plans of short-term Prime Minister Liz Truss. Mortgage interest rates for buying property rose sharply and are still a burden for many people today.
Five prime ministers in eight years
There has been no personal stability for years. Sunak, in office since October 2022, is already the fifth prime minister since the Brexit referendum in 2016. There have been significantly more changes in several cabinet posts.
A forecast is expected when the polling stations close at 11 p.m. (CEST). The individual constituencies will continue to be counted until Friday morning. King Charles III will officially commission the new Prime Minister to form a government on Friday.
