Polling stations in the United Kingdom opened at 7am local time (8am in Italy) and will remain open until 10pm. Estimates suggest a landslide victory for the Labour Party led by Keir Starmer, who is expected to become the next prime minister. However, the Conservatives under outgoing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak are predicted to suffer a significant defeat after calling for elections ahead of schedule.
If predictions hold true, the Conservatives may end up with fewer seats than their historical minimum from over a century ago when they had 156 MPs in 1906. Current estimates suggest that they may even fall as low as 80 seats. In contrast, the Labour Party is expected to win over 200 seats, a significant increase from their best result in 1997 when they had 179 seats and Tony Blair as prime minister.
Despite the anticipated defeat, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is expected to remain in his position as leader of the Conservative Party according to previews from The Times. It remains to be seen how election results will unfold and what implications they will have for the future of politics in the United Kingdom.
