Tabnak – British voters have started to cast their votes in the 2017 snap general election, following a fierce campaign that saw the ruling Conservative Party lose support to Labour, the main opposition. The results of the election could have drastic effects on Britain’s domestic as well as foreign policies.
According to the official statistics, over 40,000 polling stations across the country opened on Thursday morning and voters will have until 10: 00 pm local time to elect the party they deem most competent to form the next government.
More than 46 million people are eligible to vote in what is the fourth major poll in the UK over the past three years, following the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, the 2015 general election, and the 2016 Brexit vote.
Prime Minister Theresa May called the snap election in hopes of increasing the Conservative Party's slim majority in Parliament, and strengthening her hand in Brexit talks. The campaign did not go to plan. May was criticized for lackluster campaigning and two deadly attacks turned the election into a debate about national security.
May says the Conservatives will build a "stronger, fairer and more prosperous Britain," while opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn says he would govern "for the many, not the few." Meanwhile, polls suggest Labour has narrowed the Conservatives' lead.
Referring to this very fact, The Boston Globe writes that in recent weeks, May’s polling advantage has been cut in half, and her position seems particularly tenuous once you account for the notorious inaccuracy of UK polls. Surprises are the norm in British elections, whether you think of last summer’s unexpected Brexit victory or the toss-up 2015 election that turned out to be a conservative rout.
On the other hand, while May’s polling lead of about 7 percentage points would constitute an insurmountable advantage in countries like the United States, but UK polls have a history of getting it wrong and this is why we could probably see a very surprising result from the current elections.
The Washington Post writes in a separate story that if the Labor Party takes control of parliament — and may hands Corbyn the keys to 10 Downing Street — it would rival, and perhaps top, 2016’s Brexit vote or President Trump’s November victory for most implausible political outcome of the past 12 months.
At the same time, the report adds that concerns over how to handle the Brexit talks have been increasingly overshadowed by security worries following two attacks in a span of less than two weeks.
However, some analysts have predicted a turnout of more than 70 percent given the high stakes that are at play. The results are expected late Thursday.
