Polls have opened in Britain where voters look set to elect Labour Party leader Keir Starmer as the next prime minister sweeping Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives out of office after 14 often turbulent years.
Opinion polls put Starmer’s centre-left party on course for a landslide victory as voters turn their backs on the Conservatives following a period of infighting and turmoil that led to five prime ministers in eight years.
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However, surveys show many voters simply want change, rather than fervently backing Labour, meaning Starmer could enter office with one of the biggest to-do lists in British history but without a groundswell of support or the financial resources to tackle it.
“Today, Britain can begin a new chapter,” Starmer told voters in a statement on Thursday. “We cannot afford five more years under the Conservatives. But change will only happen if you vote Labour.”
Sunak, who called the election months earlier than expected, has in recent weeks abandoned his call for a fifth consecutive Conservative victory, switching instead to warning of the dangers, opens new tab of an unchallenged Labour Party in parliament.
He issued a fresh rallying cry to voters for election day, saying a Labour government would hike taxes, hamper economic recovery and leave Britain more vulnerable at a time of geopolitical tension, charges Labour deny.
