British go to the polls for general elections, left favourites

The British go to their polling stations on Thursday, July 4, 2024, to elect their representatives to the House of Commons. The Labour Party is expected to be the big winner, after more than ten years of Conservative rule.

Three days before the second round of the legislative elections in France, it is the turn of the British to go to the polls. On Thursday, July 4, they will elect the 650 representatives of the House of Commons. After 14 years of Conservative rule, the center-left Labour Party, led by Keir Starmer, is announced as the big favorite in the election.

A stone’s throw from Russell Square in London, in the Holborn district, A polling station has opened at the Church of St. George the Martyr. The sign “polling station” is clearly visible at the entrance. This is one of the specific features of the British election: it also takes place in religious buildings. Here, it is also possible to campaign in the media until the last minute. No reserve period. Finally, people do not hesitate to reveal and comment on their choice when leaving the polling booth. “I voted for the Labour Party”confides a voter.

According to the polls, the British left is well on its way to a landslide victory in the London constituency of Labour leader Keir Starmer, the likely future prime minister. In this left-wing stronghold, rejection of the Conservatives is massive, as Stuart, in his sixties, explains: “The country needs change. We’ve had the same people in government for too long. We need a new team to improve so many things: the fight against poverty, the health system. There’s so much to do, and it concerns all British people. So yes, I hope there will be change today..”

In the United Kingdom, the change is a done deal. A historic victory for Labour is expected, but without the enthusiasm of a brighter future, according to Michael, a young London academic. “I don’t agree with all the measures in the program. I think the change doesn’t go far enough. But it’s still the best option we have,” he notes.

“It’s not as if people are keen to vote Labour. They are more keen to kick the Tories out. There is caution and even some apprehension.”

Michael, 33 year old English academic

to franceinfo

It is not yet time to cry victory on the left. Labour fears that their position as the clear favourites will demobilise voters or encourage them to follow their hearts and vote for the Green Party, for example. “I am 68 years old and have voted Labour all my life.confides Domo. This time, I am voting Green for the first time because for me, no other party makes the climate issue a priority.”

The election is also taking place under pressure from the far right: the Reform UK party, led by the populist leader Nigel Farage, is in full swing. It is hot on the heels of and vampirising the Conservatives. However, the voting system is unfavourable to it. It should only win a handful of seats at the end of a campaign launched here also on a political poker move, the outcome of which promises to be very different from ours.