UK Election 2024 Live Updates: United Kingdom is gearing up for a national election.
Britain is voting today in a general election widely expected to hand a landslide win to the opposition Labour, ending 14 years of Conservative rule.
The first national election since Boris Johnson won the Tories a decisive victory in 2019 follows PM Rishi Sunak's surprise call to hold the polls six months earlier than required.
The gamble might backfire spectacularly, as surveys conducted through the six-week campaign pointed to a heavy defeat for the right-wing party and almost certainly put Labour leader Keir Starmer, 61, in Downing Street, with an almost supermajority.
The UK operates under a first-past-the-post system where voters elect representatives from 650 constituencies. The party that wins most seats - at least 326 - will form the government. Its leader will become the Prime Minister. In the case that no party secures a majority, the existing PM gets the first opportunity to form a coalition government.
The main political parties in the fray include the Conservative Party led by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the Labour led by Keir Starmer, the Liberal Democrats led by Ed Davey, the 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.
Here are the live updates of UK Elections:
UK Election: Britons Vote In Last Few Minutes Of Polls
Election in the UK nears close with Britons voting in last few minutes of polls.
UK Election: Key Faces In UK Elections 2024 In PicsUK Elections 2024 has boiled down to a close fight between the incumbent Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the Labour Party's Keir Starmer. However, there are some other big faces who could be influential in the UK Polls this time.
UK Election: "Britain’s Future On Ballot": Keir Starmer
UK Election: "If You Put Your Trust In Me..." Says Keir Starmer As UK Votes
UK Elections: Analysis - UK Election Brings Few Hopes Or Fears To Cautious City Of LondonThe UK financial sector is warming to Labour's pro-business overtures and pledges to provide stability and support, but many in the City remain wary it could be targeted to prop up Britain's stretched public finances further down the line, an analytical report on Reuters read.
Under leader Keir Starmer, the Labour Party - expected to win the polls - has assiduously courted the City of London, mindful that his plans for boosting economic growth will need a big dose of private capital.
In the last election in 2019, Starmer's predecessor Jeremy Corbyn set out a radical manifesto to increase public investment by raising taxes on companies and top earners, resulting in Labour's worst result since the 1930s.
"The most important change is that there has been a big shift in mindset by Labour towards the City in the past few years," William Wright, managing director of think-tank New Financial told Reuters.
"That is reflected in a strong sense of continuity in the reforms to capital markets and pensions underway," Wright said.
Labour, whose Rachel Reeves, a former economist at the Bank of England, is expected to become Britain's finance minister, has backed the Conservative government's post-Brexit 'Edinburgh Reforms' aimed at protecting the City's global competitiveness.
The party has also promised a review of the pensions and savings industry, which could help Britain's capital markets as well as boosting the financial resilience of the population.
But there is also speculation about changes to how capital gains and wealth are taxed, as well as Reeves' plans to change the way private equity is taxed, which would likely hit hard.
Michael Moore, chief executive of BVCA, a private equity industry body, said Labour was, however, showing willingness to back up its "pro-business mood music with engagement on substance".
Reeves had vowed to end a "loophole" that allows a portion of private equity earnings to be taxed as capital gains, rather than at the higher income tax rate, but last month signalled to the Financial Times that favourable tax treatment would continue in instances where fund managers put their own capital at risk.
UK Political Crisis: Why Has The Country Seen 3 Prime Ministers In 3 YearsThe United Kingdom is voting in the general elections today. A resurgent Labour Party, under the leadership of Keir Starmer, is predicted to win a majority in the House of Commons after a 14-year rule of the Conservative Party, which has had three PMs in three years.
UK Elections 2024: A Look At Rishi Sunak's India ConnectionRishi Sunak scripted history on October 25, 2022, when he became the first Indian-origin Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Here's a look at his
India connect.
Ahead Of UK Polls, A Look At Rishi Sunak's Rise To The PM's PostThe United Kingdom is voting in an intense election battle today. The ruling Conservative Party, led by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and his rival Keir Starmer's Labour Party are locked in one of the most high-profile electoral battles. Here's a look at
Sunak's rise to the top post two years ago.
UK Polls: "Broken" Healthcare A Key Issue For UK Voters Ahead Of ElectionsThe NHS, created after World War II to provide free healthcare to all, is a shadow of its former self, weakened by years of underfunding and the Covid-19 pandemic. But the institution remains beloved by Britons, and the malaise afflicting it was one of their primary concerns going into the country's general election today.
UK Labour Party To Outdo 1997 Landslide Victory This Time, Poll PredictsThe UK Labour Party is 99 per cent "certain" to secure more seats in Thursday's general election than when it won a landslide victory in 1997, a major new poll said on Tuesday.
UK Elections: Apart From Rishi Sunak, Who Are The Key CandidatesThe United Kingdom will head to the polls on July 4 in a long-anticipated general election called on Wednesday by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Here is a
list of key candidates in the fray.
From Count Binface To Elmo From Muppets: Odd Candidates In UK Polls 2024When either Rishi Sunak or Keir Starmer take to the stage to hail victory in the British election on Friday, they will be joined at their moment of triumph by either a man with a trash can on his head or someone dressed as "Elmo" from the Muppets.
Meet 'AI Steve', First AI Candidate Contesting In UK ElectionsAI Steve is the artificial intelligence candidate representing businessman Steve Endacott.
UK Elections: Three Recent Controversies In Rishi Sunak's Term As PM If Rishi Sunak's party fails to get a majority in the July 4 polls, it will draw the curtains on 14 years of the Conservative rule. Here's taking a look at the three major controversies from Sunak's term.
UK Polls: London Stocks, Pound Climb As Britons Head To PollsLondon's stock market and the pound advanced versus the dollar today as Britons voted in a general election expected to be won by the centre-left and main opposition Labour party, reported news agency AFP. Eurozone stocks also pushed higher amid political maneuvering to try and block the far-right National Rally (RN) of Marine Le Pen from gaining power in France's legislative poll on Sunday. Gains were capped with Wall Street shut for the July 4 Independence Day holiday in the United States.
UK Election: Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey, Wife Vote In Polls
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey arrived at the Surbiton Hill Methodist Church to cast his vote with his wife Emily Davey. Mr Davey made a name for himself with his attention-grabbing campaign.
UK Elections: Labour Party Tipped For Landslide Win As UK Votes In Historic PollsBritain voted Thursday in a general election widely expected to hand the opposition Labour party a landslide win and end nearly a decade-and-a-half of Conservative rule.
UK Election: Green Party Co-Leader Carla Denyer Casts Her VoteGreen Party co-leader Carla Denyer voted early in the day. She was pictured heading to her polling booth in Bristol.
UK Election: Scottish Labour Leader Anas Sarwar Votes In Glasgow
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar cast his vote this morning. He was seen leaving the polling station in Glasgow's Pollokshields Burgh Hall with his wife and their son.
UK Election: Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn voted, posting a picture of himself outside a polling station with the message "Just voted for the independent candidate in Islington North. I heard he's alright."
UK Electiona 2024 Updates:
Britain's opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria arrive to cast their votes at a polling station in London on July 4, 2024 as Britain holds a general election.
UK Elections 2024 LIVE Updates: Britain's Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Rishi Sunak arrives with his wife Akshata Murty to cast their votes at a polling station in Kirby Sigston, Northallerton, north of England.
UK General Election 2024: When And Where To Watch LIVE CoverageThe United Kingdom is on the brink of a significant political shift as the country votes today.
Where to watch coverage of UK Elections 2024:
Tune in to NDTV for extensive coverage, analysis and results as they come in. Don't miss out on the excitement as the UK prepares to elect its next government. Watch NDTV for all the latest updates and insights.
The elections will also be covered by BBC, ITV, Sky News, Channel 4 and GB News.
Voting Begins In UK, Rishi Sunak's Fate On The LineBritons headed to the polls Thursday in a general election widely expected to emphatically return the opposition Labour party to power and end nearly a decade-and-a-half of Conservative rule.
The country's first national ballot since Boris Johnson won a landslide for the Tories in 2019 follows Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's surprise call to hold it six months earlier than required.
His gamble looks set to backfire spectacularly, with polls throughout the six-week campaign -- and for the last two years -- pointing to a heavy defeat for his right-wing party.
Rishi Sunak: UK Conservative Leader Hoping To Defy All PredictionsThe UK Conservatives hoped Rishi Sunak would stabilise the party and country when they made him leader following his predecessors' chaotic tenures. Instead, he has led them to the brink of electoral wipeout.
The party's MPs installed the 44-year-old former financier in October 2022, after Liz Truss's 49-day premiership imploded when spooked markets moved against her tax-slashing plans.
Sunak succeeded to a point in stabilising the country's economy but failed to stop bitter Tory infighting or to make a dent in the persistent polling lead held by the opposition Labour Party.
In Pics: Key Faces In UK Elections 2024UK Elections 2024 has boiled down to a close fight between the incumbent Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the Labour Party's Keir Starmer. However, there are some other big faces who could be influential in the UK Polls this time.
Here are the key contenders in UK Elections 2024:
1. Rishi Sunak
2. Keir Starmer
3. Nigel Farage
4. John Swinney
5. Ed Davey
6. Carla Denyer
UK Electiona 2024 Updates:
Rishi Sunak's fate on the line as voting begins across 650 constituencies in Britain
UK Election 2024: Hour-By-Hour Guide To How The Results Come InThe UK votes Thursday to decide whether Labour Party leader Keir Starmer can end 14 years of opposition and win the keys to 10 Downing Street, or whether - somehow - Prime Minister Rishi Sunak can buck the polls and claim what would be an extraordinary turnaround victory.
Pollsters say the question is less about a Labour win than the scale of it. Starmer's party has led the Conservatives by more than 20 points through the 6-week election campaign, according to Bloomberg's poll of polls.
Every so-called MRP survey of the campaign - seen as the gold standard analysis technique - has pointed to a huge Labour majority in the House of Commons, ranging from 162 to 382 seats. All bar the lowest would see Labour win more seats under Starmer than in Tony Blair's 1997 landslide.
Your Guide To UK General ElectionBritish voters go to the polls on Thursday in a general election to choose new members of parliament.
House of Commons
Voting is taking place for all 650 MPs in the lower chamber of parliament, each representing a constituency or seat.
First-past-the-post
Polls open at 7:00 am (0600 GMT) and close at 10:00 pm. Electors vote once for a candidate in their constituency, marking a cross on a ballot paper.
Majority
For an overall majority, a party has to secure at least 326 seats.
Function
MPs scrutinise and vote on proposals from the government, and can sit on parliamentary committees to study the work of the executive as a whole or specific issues.
2019
At the last general election, held on December 12, 2019, Boris Johnson's Conservatives were runaway winners with 365 seats, with Labour on 202.
UK Election: Number Of Seats, Candidates, Voters And Polling StationsHere are some of the key numbers as UK voters go to the polls Thursday in a general election predicted to see the ruling Conservatives dumped out of office after 14 years.
650 seats
The number of seats up for grabs across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. A party needs to secure 326 seats to have a majority in parliament.
4,515 candidates
The total number of candidates from 98 different political parties -- a record. Of them, 459 are independents and 30 percent are women.
46 million voters
There were over 46 million voters registered in the UK in December 2023, according to government data.
40,000 polling stations
There are around 40,000 polling stations across the country, according to Democracy Club.
15 Tory ministers under threat
At least 15 Conservative candidates who are ministers in Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's cabinet have been projected to lose their seats in YouGov polling.
13 million pounds in donations
In the first three weeks of election campaigning, from May 30 to June 19, around 13 million pounds ($16.4 million) was donated to political parties, according to Electoral Commission data.
Seven water stunts
Ed Davey, leader of the smaller opposition Liberal Democrats, has taken part in seven campaign stunts involving water.
12 percent trust
Only 12 percent of Britons said they trusted political parties in a government survey from last year, down from 20 percent in 2022.
Rishi Sunak 2.0 Or Return Of Labour? UK Votes In Historic Polls TodayBritain's political leaders made a final frantic push for votes Wednesday on the last day of an election campaign expected to return a Labour government after 14 years of Conservative rule.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak insisted he was still "fighting hard" despite one of his closest allies conceding that the Tories were heading for an "extraordinary landslide" defeat on Thursday.
The Conservatives suffered a further blow at the 11th hour when The Sun tabloid, famous for backing election winners, endorsed Keir Starmer's Labour.
Polls overwhelmingly predict that Labour will win its first general election since 2005 -- making Starmer the party's first prime minister since Gordon Brown left office in 2010.
That outcome would see Britain swing leftwards back to the centre ground after almost a decade and a half of right-wing Conservative governments, dominated first by austerity, then Brexit and a cost-of-living crisis.
Starmer, 61, criss-crossed the UK in a bid to shore up Labour support and warn against complacency in the campaign's final hours.
Explained: What Happens In The UK General ElectionBritain will hold a parliamentary election on July 4 which opinion polls indicate will hand power to Keir Starmer's Labour Party and end 14 years of Conservative Party-led government.
HOW IS THE WINNER DECIDED?
To win outright, one party needs to win at least 326 out of the 650 parliamentary seats. The leader of that party becomes prime minister.
"Stop Labour's Supermajority": Rishi Sunak's Final Appeal Ahead Of UK PollsStop Labour's "supermajority" is the final message British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is trying to drive home on Wednesday, the final day of campaigning ahead of polling day on Thursday, as most of the incumbent Conservatives seem to have all but conceded defeat in the general election.
"This is what unites us. We need to stop the Labour supermajority that will put up your taxes. The only way to do that is to vote Conservative tomorrow," said 44-year-old Rishi Sunak on social media, as he focused on drumming up support in the last few hours of the campaign trail.
Key Issues At Stake In The 2024 UK ElectionsHere are some key issues at stake in the UK general election on Thursday:
- Will jaded voters turn out? -
The main opposition Labour party is widely predicted to win and has been determined not to take any risks, making for a lacklustre election campaign.
For the past two years, polling has suggested that Labour is 20 points ahead of the Conservatives, and no amount of campaigning has managed to shift the dial.
But if that indicates a desire for change after 14 years of Tory government, there does not appear to be much enthusiasm for Labour's plans.
From Count Binface To Elmo From Muppets: Odd Candidates In UK Polls 2024When either Rishi Sunak or Keir Starmer take to the stage to hail victory in the British election on Friday, they will be joined at their moment of triumph by either a man with a trash can on his head or someone dressed as "Elmo" from the Muppets.
Among the more than 4,500 candidates standing for election to parliament's 650 seats are those from fringe parties, single-issue campaigners, and, in a peculiarly British tradition, those who are simply making fun of the whole thing.