London — On Thursday, British voters participated in the United Kingdom’s first general election since 2019. An exit poll suggests a decisive victory for the Labour Party, which is projected to secure 410 seats, surpassing the Conservative Party.
Among those casting their votes were the current Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, who faces potential ousting by Conservative voters after 14 years in power, and his main opponent, Labour Party leader Keir Starmer, who is likely to succeed him.
Here are the key points about the 2024 British general election:
On Thursday, British voters did not directly elect a new leader. Instead, they chose local representatives for the lower house of Parliament, the House of Commons.
There are 650 parliamentary seats in contention, each to be filled by one Member of Parliament (MP) in the House of Commons. A party needs to win at least 326 seats to secure a majority and form the next government, with its leader becoming the prime minister.
The exit poll projects the Conservative Party to win just 131 seats, while the Labour Party is forecast to claim 410 seats, indicating a significant shift in British politics.
