New Delhi: As the UK votes today, July 4, the future of Rishi Sunak as Britain’s Prime Minister and Leader of the Conservative Party hangs in the balance. Each vote cast today holds the power to shape the future of the UK. The current parliament was dissolved on May 30, 2024, after announcing the general election date. As the UK votes, let us quickly look at the key candidates, dates, political parties, and other details.
UK Elections 2024: Key voting details
The polling time will end at 10 pm, and voters can cast their votes by visiting the polling stations or sending their votes by post in advance.
In a first, a photo ID card is required for voters who will be casting their votes at the polling stations.
Soon after the elections are over, an exit poll will be announced.
More than 45 million registered voters will cast their votes.
UK General Elections 2024: Key Parties
The key parties for this year’s UK General Elections 2024 are the Conservatives, Labour Party, Liberal Democrats, Scottish National Party, Democratic Unionist Party, and Reform UK. The Conservative Party is the ruling party, with 344 MPs after the dissolution of parliament.
Who are the key candidates for the UK Elections 2024?
PM Rishi Sunak, Conservatives: Rishi Sunak, an Oxford graduate and former hedge fund manager at Goldman Sachs, is running for the second term as prime minister. Critics say he lacks political judgment and stays out of touch with ordinary voters.
Keir Starmer, Labour Party: Another key candidate is Keir Starmer, a former lawyer and chief prosecutor for England and Wales. He is known as a centrist and is credited with moving the party away from its overtly socialist orientation.
Ed Davey, Liberal Democrats: He is a former economics researcher who served as climate and energy secretary under the previous Conservative coalition government.
Nigel Farage, Reform UK: Known for his anti-immigrant and Eurosceptic stance, Farage is a former staunch proponent of Brexit. He has contested for Parliament seven times but never won.
John Swinney, Scottish National Party: Know how to bring stability to the party after the abrupt exit of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. She had quit after her husband was found guilty of violating campaign finance rules.
How is the Prime Minister appointed?
The UK’s Prime Minister is the party’s leader and has won most seats in the general elections.
Any political party that wins the elections needs 326 seats out of the 650 seats to hold the majority in the House of Commons.
The UK monarch, King Charles III, will invite the leader of the majority party to form a new government.
What are the key issues and promises made in this year’s UK election?
Issues
The key issue is that the UK has been experiencing sluggish economic growth since the 2008 global financial crisis. Therefore, the party that forms the government will need to address this issue.
Another important concern is the reluctance of private investors to invest in an economy affected by years of political instability.
Increased long-term illness since the pandemic and an ageing population have led to labour shortages, which have been addressed through increased immigration. However, this has strained the publicly funded National Health Service (NHS) and other social systems.
The Conservatives have failed to meet their targets to reduce immigration despite ending the free movement for workers from the EU.
Promises
The Conservative party has pledged to increase public health and defence spending and implement tax cuts to prevent tax evasion and strengthen the economy. One controversial decision includes imposing a cap on immigration and relocating asylum seekers to Rwanda.
The Labour Party plans to increase investment in Britain’s infrastructure, including the railways. They will impose a windfall tax on oil and gas giants to fund a state-owned clean power company and introduce a tax on private schools to hire more teachers for state schools. They also aim to reduce public health waiting times.
The Liberal Democrats’ key promise is free nursing care at home through improved social health systems. The party has also promised to lower the voting age to 16 and rejoin the European Union (EU)’s single market.
The SNP has promised to open negotiations with the government in London for Scottish independence. It seeks to rejoin the EU and its single market. It also wants to scrap the UK’s Scotland-based nuclear deterrent and implement an immediate cease-fire in Gaza.
The Greens, led by Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsay, aim to phase out nuclear power and achieve net zero emissions by 2040. They plan to raise 40 billion through a carbon tax to invest in the green economy and propose a new wealth tax on the very rich and an income tax hike for high-earning individuals.
The United Kingdom (UK) is holding its general elections today, July 4, nearly after five years. Conservative Party’s Rishi Sunak, the current Prime Minister, and Labour Party’s Keir Starmer are the main candidates for this election. In this article, one can find key details about the elections. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
