UK General Election 2024 LIVE: Labour set for landslide victory as results come in

UK Elections result: Britain has experienced a run of turbulent years — some of it of the Conservatives' own making and some of it not — that has left many voters pessimistic about their country's future. Now, it's time for voters to choose Rishi Sunak or Keir Starmer.

Communities all over the United Kingdom such as Henley-on-Thames are locked in tight contests in which traditional party loyalties come second to more immediate concerns about the economy, crumbling infrastructure and the National Health Service. Though it has traditionally been a Conservative Party stronghold, the area may change its stripes. The Tories have been beset by sluggish growth, declining public services and a series of scandals, making them easy targets for critics on the left and right. “This is a blue (Conservative) town, always has been,’’ restaurant manager Sam Wilkinson said. “My generation won’t necessarily vote blue, not necessarily, but at the same time who else do you vote for? It’s really tricky.”

Voters in the north London borough of Islington started to gather even before the polling station opened as the historically Labour Party stronghold tantalizingly considers the possibility of a change in government after 14 years of Conservative rule. James Erskine, who works in advertising, said he was unable to forgive Conservative austerity policies that he believes have decimated public services, such as the National Health Service. Even so, he wanted to vote for something rather than against something. “I think nothing has gone well in the last 14 years, and I think it’s really important that the right result happens,’’ he said. “I was even excited that we might get a different opposition to the big two parties. I don’t actually think that will happen, but that would be amazing. I just see this as the potential for a seismic shift, and that’s what I’m hoping for.”

The Conservatives have faced one challenge after another since they took power in 2010. First, there was the fallout from the global financial crisis, which swelled Britain’s debt and caused the Tories to impose years of austerity to balance the budget. They then led Britain out of the European Union, battled one of the deadliest COVID-19 outbreaks in western Europe, and saw inflation soar after Russia invaded Ukraine. Regardless of the circumstances, many voters blame the Conservatives for the litany of problems facing Britain, from sewage spills and unreliable train service to the cost-of-living crisis, crime and the influx of migrants crossing the English Channel on inflatable boats.

It’s not that you can’t wager on politics. But the odds on the main event this year have become so lopsided that a wager on which party will control Parliament is a bad bet. In gambling-crazy Britain, politics is fair game for betting. The subject has received more attention than normal in this election because of a scandal revolving around what date the election would be set — one of the many gambling possibilities. Tens of millions of pounds are expected to be wagered on this year’s election, but that will be dwarfed in the fall by the amount bet on the U.S. election. The presidential election in 2020 became the world’s biggest betting event on the Betfair Exchange, with 1.7 billion pounds wagered.

Thousands of doctors in England staged their 11th walkout last week in a long-running dispute with the government over pay and working conditions, disrupting hospital services.
The five-day strike by junior doctors — those in the early years of their careers — shines a spotlight on the troubles besetting the chronically underfunded National Health Service, Britain’s state-run public health system, a topic that is a top concern for voters going to the polls.

The United Kingdom is currently holding its general election, with polling stations across the nation seeing a steady stream of voters. Visuals from a polling booth in Southall, London, depict an active participation from the local community.

The election is a significant contest between Britain's opposition Labour Party leader, Keir Starmer, and the incumbent Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, representing the Conservative Party. This election is seen as a crucial test for both parties, with key issues such as the economy, healthcare, and Brexit shaping the campaigns.

In Southall, voters are arriving early to cast their ballots, reflecting the high stakes and public interest in the outcome. The area, known for its diverse population, is expected to play a pivotal role in the election results.

Britain's Labour leader Keir Starmer arrived to cast his vote in an election that is expected to bring his party to power, sweeping away Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Conservatives after 14 often turbulent years.

Keir Starmer has arrived to vote in London with his wife, Victoria, amid expectations that he would become the next PM of the United Kingdom.

• Rishi Sunak - Richmond and Northallerton
• Keir Starmer - Holborn and St Pancras
• Nigel Farage - Clacton
• Jeremy Corbyn - Islington North
• Ed Davey - Kingston and Surbiton
• John Swinney - Perthshire North
• Kemi Badenoch - North West Essex

Results from the UK general elections 2024 will start trickling in from 10 pm (2:30 am IST) onwards, with most of the constituency results expected by the early hours of Friday. A party needs a majority of 326 seats in the House of Commons to form the government. Blyth and Ashington is expected to be the first constituency to declare the results at an estimated time of 11:30 pm, followed by Basildon and Billericay.

It is estimated that the final results will pour in between 6 am and 7 am (10:30 am-11:30 am IST on Friday) as dawn breaks over Britain. The timings can be affected by issues such as delays in verifying and counting ballots or recounts. By Friday noon (in India), we can expect the results of all 650 seats in the British parliament.

As the UK polls commence with the key contest being between Rishi Sunak's Conservatives and Keir Starmer's Labour, issues like economy, tax, and immigration have assumed significance. Despite some progress in inflation and unemployment, the Conservatives have failed to deliver on some important promises, such as the National Health Service and record-breaking immigration, which has added to the dissatisfaction of the voters with the ruling Tories.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has cast his vote in the ongoing UK general election on Thursday, according to Reuters.

A report by The Guardian said British PM Rishi Sunak has confided to members of his inner circle that he was fearful of losing his seat in Richmond and Northallerton, as a new YouGov poll predicted that at least 16 cabinet ministers would lose their seats. In 2019, he won the seat with a majority of more than 27,000 and 63 per cent of the vote. No sitting British PM has lost from his own seat.

Around 40,000 polling booths opened across the country at 7 am local time (11:30 am IST) as an estimated 46 million registered voters began turning out to mark a cross next to their chosen candidate on a paper ballot. Since this year, carrying an identification document to the polling booth has become compulsory in UK elections, which are open to all registered adult voters resident in the UK — including Indians as Commonwealth citizens.

The future of Rishi Sunak as Britain’s Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party hangs in the balance as polling booths opened across the UK on Thursday, with millions expected to turn out to cast their votes in the general election.

• Rishi Sunak (Conservative) - Richmond and Northallerton
• Praful Nargund (Labour) - Islington North
• Shivani Raja (Conservative) - Leicester East
• Rajesh Agrawal (Labour) - Leicester East
• Jas Athwal (Labour) - Iford South
• Keith Vaz (Independent) - Leicester East
• Warinder Juss (Labour) - Wolverhampton West
• Kanishka Narayan (Labour) - Wales
• Chandra Kanneganti (Conservative) - Stoke-on-Trent Central
• Preet Kaur Gill (Labour) - Birmingham Edgbaston
• Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrats) - Twickenham

An analysis by the British Future think tank has predicted that the Labour Party is set to have by far the largest number of ethnic minority MPs if the party wins an overall majority and even more in a landslide scenario. With around 14 per cent of MPs coming from an ethnic minority background this time, the analysis finds that the new Parliament will be closer than ever to reflecting the diversity of the British electorate.

Polling experts have forecast a low turnout, which stood at 67 per cent in the last general election in December 2019 when Johnson won a solid majority on his “get Brexit done” message. If opinion polls are to be believed, the incumbent Tories are in line to win anywhere between 53 and 150 seats, with Labour projected to win a landslide.

British PM Rishi Sunak, ahead of the UK elections, is trying to drive the message of stopping 'Labour supermajority' as his party is heading for a big defeat. "The only way to do that is to vote Conservative tomorrow,” said Sunak on social media, as he focused on drumming up support in the last few hours of the campaign trail.

India and the UK have been negotiating a free trade agreement (FTA) since it was announced by Boris Johnson to boost trade between the two countries. The agreement could result in a mutual tariff relaxation for a range of goods like cars, clothes and more. Starmer has increasingly tried to stamp out 'anti-India sentiments' within his party and his victory can result in a positive turn of negotiations towards the FTA.

The Labour Party has been focusing on highlighting how they stand ready to get the FTA over the line after the Tories missed their Diwali 2022 deadline. "India is only our 12th trading partner and that is why Keir Starmer changed Labour Party...and in that changed Labour Party are the aspirations of a free trade agreement between our two nations is a floor and not a ceiling, on our ambition," said Labour's shadow party secretary David Lammy.

The Conservatives, led by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, have been wracked by infighting and a series of scandals since Boris Johnson's infamous 'Partygate' scandal that forced him to retire. Johnson was succeeded by Liz Truss, whose disruptive economic policies resulting in large tax cuts resulted in a short tenure of 49 days, eroding confidence in the competence of the Tories.

Since Rishi Sunak came to power, inflation rose to a record-high but came down in the later stages of his premiership. However, people continue to grapple with a cost-of-living crisis due to inflation and slow economic growth, housing shortages and increasing immigration. The party has also been hit by a betting scandal related to the election date. Voters have now sought a change in the government.

Voters will elect 650 Members of Parliament for the UK House of Commons in Thursday's elections. The voters in each constituency have to select a single candidate on their ballot papers. This means that a party has to win 326 seats to form the next government. The leader of the party that crosses 326 seats will become the next British PM.

The Rishi Sunak-led Conservative Party has all but conceded election defeat to the opposition Labour, warning that the Keir Starmer-led party is on course for a record-breaking victory. The Conservatives turned their focus to damage limitation, saying they needed to hang on to enough seats to provide an effective opposition to a Labour government.

Opinion polls show the centre-left Labour Party is set for a big win in Thursday's vote that would end 14 years of Conservative government and hand Starmer the keys to the prime minister's Number 10 Downing Street office on Friday morning. You Gov's final seat projection published on Wednesday put Labour on track to win a majority of 212 seats, the largest of any party in modern history.

The main parties in this year's UK elections include the Conservative Party led by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the Labour Party led by Keir Starmer. Other parties in the political fray include Reform UK led by Nigel Farage, Liberal Democrats led by Ed Davey, the Scottish National Party led by John Swinney and the Green Party led by Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsay.

Britons will choose 650 members of the House of Commons on July 4 (Thursday) for a term of up to five years. Polling booths in the UK will open at 7 am local time (11:30 am IST) and registered voters in the parliamentary constituencies will cast their ballots to elect their MPs using the first-past-the-post system. In this system, the candidate with the most votes is declared elected, like in India. The polling booths will close at 10 pm (2:30 IST Friday).