(Maja Smiejkowska, Reuters/Contrasto)
On May 22, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak surprisingly announced that general elections would be held on July 4. The Labor Party, in opposition, is the big vote favorite.
“I will be fighting for every vote in the coming weeks,” added Rishi Sunak, 44. “I will convince voters that only a government led by me can guarantee economic stability and bring our country back to the top.”
So far Sunak had limited himself to talking about elections “in the second half of the year”. The vote, theoretically possible until January 2025, was expected in the autumn.
But in recent weeks, marked by catastrophic polls for the conservatives, pressure had increased for him to clarify his intentions.
The recent publication of two positive economic data – the return to growth and the slowdown in inflation – convinced Sunak to take the plunge.
After fourteen years of Conservative government, characterized by the referendum on Brexit and the alternation of five prime ministers, voters seem determined to turn the page and send Labor leader Keir Starmer, considered a moderate, to Downing Street.
“It’s time for a change,” Starmer, 61, said after Sunak’s announcement, urging voters to vote for Labor “to ensure the country’s economic and political stability”.
“We will put an end to the chaos and begin the reconstruction of the country,” he added, referring to the economic difficulties of recent years, including the reduction in citizens’ purchasing power and the decline of public services, in particular the National Health Service (NHS ), the British health service.
Labor on 45 per cent
According to polls, the Labor Party is in the lead with around 45 percent of voting intentions, while the Conservative Party is at 20-25 percent and the populist Reform UK formation, which is opposed to immigration and measures to combat the crisis climate, is 12 percent.
Thanks to the majoritarian electoral system, Labor would have a large majority in parliament.
Also in Scotland the Labor Party is ahead of the pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP).
