Britain's Labour Party Poised to Win Election, Ending Conservative Rule

When the election results are in, Britain's center-left Labour Party, led by Keir Starmer, is expected to sweep into power, ending 14 years of Conservative rule. LONDON -- Britain is on the brink of massive change. Unless the polls are spectacularly wrong, the center-left Labour Party will sweep into power Friday, ending 14 years of Conservative Party rule. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak didn't need to call an election before the end of the year, but he decided to gamble, hoping that the polls would narrow.

They haven't, really. The Conservatives are deeply unpopular. Voters don't trust them to handle the economy, one of the party's traditional strong points. The voters are upset about soaring costs, high interest rates, stagnant wages and overwhelmed public services. A tetchy mob is hungry for change, even if it is unclear what that means.

Some polls predict that Labour could win bigger under its leader, Keir Starmer, than it did during Tony Blair's landslide victory for the party in 1997. Here's what to know. Live Updates Vote-counting in Britain begins the second that polls close, and we should have an idea of the winner a few hours later. Here's a rough timeline of the night: There is a limit to how much we can tell you about Britain's election - at least until polls close in an hour or so. That's because the country has strict rules on reporting while people are still voting.

They apply to all broadcasters licensed in the United Kingdom, including CNN, forbidding them from reporting on campaign issues, opinion polls, political statements and candidates until the polling stations shut in the evening. The restrictions are far stronger than in many countries, such as the United States, where candidates continue campaigning on election day as they try to drive as many voters to the polls as possible. The UK's Office of Communications (Ofcom) enforces the regulations, which are designed to ensure political coverage is impartial and to prevent the media from influencing voters as ballots are being cast. It means that on election day, you won't hear journalists or pundits speculating about politics on Britain's TV and radio airwaves, or on digital sites. But that all changes at 10 p.m.

local time (5 p.m. ET), the moment polls close. Britain has a first-past-the-post voting system - the make-up of its next parliament won't be decided by vote share, but by how many seats each party wins. People have been casting ballots in each of the country's 650 constituencies, selecting the member of parliament (MP) to represent the area. The leader of the party that wins a majority of those constituencies becomes prime minister, and can form a government.

That means 326 is the magic number for an overall majority. If no party reaches that mark, the largest party could seek to lead as a minority government, or it could enter a coalition with other groups to get it over the line. People across Britain have been casting ballots in a general election, after a six-week campaign that has seen parties criss-cross the country. Rishi Sunak's Conservative Party have ruled Britain for 14 years, but are being challenged for power by the Labour Party, led by Keir Starmer. Polls opened at 7 a.m.

(2 a.m. ET) and will close very soon, at 10 p.m. (5 p.m. ET). At that very moment, an exit poll will be released projecting who has won and how well parties have performed.

Then votes will be counted through the night; a new government could be in place by late morning on Friday. We'll bring you results and analysis through the night on this page. Pre-election polls strongly favored the center-left Labour Party, which was bidding to end 14 years of Conservative rule. A new prime minister would inherit a host of economic challenges. Prime minister and Conservative Party leader Labour Party leader Reform U.K.

leader Liberal Democrats leader Mark Landler Reporting from London Millions of voters went to the polls across Britain on Thursday in a general election that was widely expected to usher in a new era in British politics, with pre-election surveys suggesting that a frustrated electorate would deliver a sweeping victory for the opposition Labour Party and end 14 years of turbulent Conservative rule. The center-left Labour Party has held a double-digit polling lead over the Conservatives for more than 18 months, reflecting an electorate fed up with a turbulent era that spanned austerity, Brexit, the Covid pandemic, the serial scandals of Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the ill-fated tax-cutting proposals of his successor, Liz Truss. A victory for Labour would put Britain at odds with the hard-right, populist tide that is rippling across France and other European countries. Keir Starmer, the Labour leader who is set to become prime minister, has promised a fiscally prudent government 'in the service of working people.' Polling sites close across the country at 10 p.m. (5 p.m.

Eastern), after which three major broadcasters are expected to announce the results of a national exit poll that should give a strong indication of the results. (The poll has accurately predicted the winner of Britain's last five general elections.) Votes are counted overnight, with almost every district expected to declare a winner by 7 a.m. (2 a.m. Eastern). Here's what else to know: Labour's makeover: Mr.

Starmer, a low-key human rights lawyer who only entered Parliament in 2015, has embarked on a four-year project to pull the Labour Party away from the left-wing policies of his predecessor, Jeremy Corbyn, and rebrand it as a plausible alternative to the increasingly erratic rule of the Conservatives, also known as the Tories. Unhappy electorate: Voters expressed frustration with the torpid economy, an influx of immigration following Britain's departure from the European Union and an overburdened National Health Service, which resulted in long waiting times for patients. Conservative struggles: Less than five years ago, the Conservatives won 365 seats, the most since 1987, when they were led by Margaret Thatcher. Lured by Mr. Johnson's promise to 'get Brexit done,' disenchanted Labour voters in the Midlands and northern England switched to the Tories.

With many of those voters deserting them, polls suggest they could secure their lowest share of seats in Parliament in perhaps a century. Right-wing ferment: Reform U.K., an insurgent, anti-immigration party, was expected to siphon off some Conservative support. The party is led by Nigel Farage, the veteran political disrupter (and Trump supporter) who has failed in seven previous bids to get into Parliament. A win could anoint him as a power broker in the battle for the soul of the Conservative Party. Sunak's future: Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's future as the Conservatives' leader appeared dim.

Polling suggested that several of his cabinet ministers could lose their parliamentary seats, which would leave the party without several of its so-called big beasts who have dominated British politics. Mr. Sunak himself was at risk of suffering the same fate, something that has never happened to an incumbent British prime minister in a general election. Eshe Nelson After a long stretch of anemic growth, stagnant wages and weak investment, the health of the British economy has been one of the main issues in the election campaign. The Labour Party's victory is expected to mark a significant shift in British politics, with Keir Starmer set to become the new prime minister, promising a different approach to governance and addressing the challenges faced by the country.

The election results will shape the future of Britain and have far-reaching implications for its economy, society, and international relations. Stay tuned for more updates as the election unfolds.