London:
Keir Starmer’s Labour Party is heading for a landslide victory in the UK general elections, a result that would reflect a seismic realignment in British politics as Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party faces a serious setback.
Here are 10 updates on the UK election results:
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Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s last-minute attempt to sway voters appears to have fallen short. The Conservatives warned voters that opting for Labour would lead to higher taxes.
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Led by Keir Starmer, the Labour Party is currently ahead on 60 seats, while Rishi Sunak’s party has won just 4. To secure victory, a party needs to win 326 seats in the 650-member House of Commons.
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The final results will be announced by 11.30 am (IST).
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The official election exit poll predicted Labour will win 410 seats, the most since Tony Blair’s 1997 landslide victory, with a projected majority of 170. In the last six UK elections, only one exit poll has got the outcome wrong. Official results will follow over the next few hours.
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Sunak’s Tories are projected to slump to 131 seats, marking their worst ever performance and would likely see some of the party’s biggest names voted out of Parliament. The Liberal Democrats and Nigel Farage’s populist Reform UK are also on track to make huge gains.
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In May, Rishi Sunak stunned many in his own party by calling the election earlier than he needed to with the Conservatives trailing Labour by some 20 points in opinion polls.
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He had hoped the gap would narrow, as typically seen in British elections, but the deficit persisted through what is seen as a largely unsuccessful campaign.
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Keir Starmer, the son of a toolmaker and a nurse, has promised “a decade of national renewal” after post-financial crash austerity measures, Brexit upheaval and a cost-of-living crisis.
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But, he faces significant challenges ahead, including sluggish economic growth, strained and underfunded public services due to extensive cuts over the past fourteen years, and financial pressures on households.
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For Sunak, the early trends suggest a defeat that has been on the cards for months. He has said he will stay on as an MP even if he’s removed or steps down as Tory leader — though some polls predict he may not keep his seat.