By Sarah Naffa\AP News
Britain’s upcoming general election on July 4 is widely expected to lead to a change of government for the first time in 14 years. Many analysts believe it will be one of the country’s most consequential elections since the end of World War II. Read more.
What to know:
- People throughout the United Kingdom will elect all 650 members of the House of Commons, one for each local constituency. The party that commands a majority in the Commons, either alone or with the support of another party, will form the next government and its leader will be prime minister.
- After 14 years of Conservative-led governments, many voters blame the party for the litany of problems facing Britain, from the cost-of-living crisis, long waiting lists for health care, the dislocations caused by Britain’s departure from the European Union, and a series of scandals, including lockdown-busting parties in government offices during one of the deadliest COVID-19 outbreaks in western Europe.
- If Labour wins the election, Keir Starmer will become the first Labour prime minister since 2010. Some on Labour’s left have grumbled at Starmer’s centrist approach and what they see as unambitious, watered-down policies. But the party has surged in the polls under his leadership.
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