Millions of British voters will head to the polls on Thursday to choose a new House of Commons and a new government.
Voters elect 650 members to represent each constituency or region, and the leader of the party with the most members becomes prime minister.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party is widely expected to be defeated by the main opposition, centre-left Labour Party, after 14 years in power under five prime ministers.
Under Britain’s “single-member constituency” system, the Conservative and Labour parties have traditionally dominated British politics, making it difficult for smaller parties to win seats in Parliament.
But the Liberal Democrats, Reform UK, the Scottish National Party and the Green Party are also among those in the running.
Here’s an overview of each party, who’s leading them, and what they promise:
conservatives
FILE – British Chancellor Rishi Sunak leaves 10 Downing Street in London, May 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)
Who is their leader? Chancellor Rishi Sunak.
Sunak, 44, took over as government in October 2022, inheriting a Conservative party and economy in shambles after Liz Truss’s short-lived tenure as chancellor. The Oxford University graduate and former Goldman Sachs hedge fund manager Britain’s first leader of colour and first Hindu prime ministerMr Sunak portrays himself as the man who has brought stability to the government, but critics say he lacks political acumen and is out of touch with ordinary voters.
How many seats did they win in the last election? 365
What do they promise? Strengthen the economy and cut taxes by around £17 billion a year. Increase public health spending above the rate of inflation and increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2030. The party says it can pay for this by cutting tax evasion and reducing welfare spending. The party also promises to cap immigration and exclude some asylum seekers from Rwanda.
Labor
FILE – Keir Starmer, leader of the British opposition Labour Party, speaks at a business conference in London, Feb. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)
Who is their leader? Keir Starmer.
Starmer, a 61-year-old lawyer and former attorney general for England and Wales, is currently the front-runner to become Britain’s next leader. A centrist and pragmatic man, he has worked to defuse divisions within the party and distance it from the more explicitly socialist policies of former leader Jeremy Corbyn. He has been described as uninspiring and unambitious, but under his leadership, Labour’s popularity has soared.
How many seats did they win in the last election? 202
What do they promise? Build on a 10-year infrastructure strategy to drive “wealth creation”, encourage investment and improve Britain’s infrastructure such as rail; create a national clean electricity company to strengthen energy security, funded by a temporary levy on oil and gas giants; tax private schools to cover the costs of thousands of new teachers in state schools; and reduce public health waiting times, which are at record highs.
LDP
FILE – Ed Davey poses for media after being elected as the new leader of the Liberal Democrats, in London, Aug. 27, 2020. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)
Who is their leader? Ed Davey.
Davie, 58, was first elected to Parliament in 1997. A former economic researcher, he served as the government’s energy and climate change minister during the shaky Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government from 2012 to 2015. Davie, who became leader of the centre-left Liberal Democrat party in 2019, was little known before making headlines for a number of eccentric stunts during this election, including a bungee jump to encourage voters to “take a leap of faith”.
How many seats did they win in the last election? 11
What do they promise? Fixing the UK’s overburdened health and social care system, including by making home care free. Investing in renewable energy and home insulation. Cracking down on wastewater treatment companies. Lowering the voting age to 16. Rejoining the European Union’s single market.
Reform UK
FILE – Nigel Farage, former leader of the Brexit Party and leader of the populist political party Reform UK, speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC 2024) in National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland, Feb. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/(AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
Who is their leader? Nigel Farage.
Farage, a political firebrand who prides himself on being a disruptor of British politics, has been a serious headache for the Conservative Party since he announced his candidacy. The 60-year-old populist has long polarized public opinion with his anti-immigration rhetoric and Eurosceptic stance. A key promoter of Brexit, Farage has charmed many disillusioned Conservative voters with his promises to cut immigration and focus on “British values.” Farage has run for parliament seven times but has never won.
How many seats did they win in the last election? However, this year former Conservative deputy chairman Lee Anderson joined the Reform Party, becoming its first MP.
What do they promise? Freezing all “non-essential immigration” and banning international students from bringing dependents. Withdrawing from the European Convention on Human Rights so asylum seekers can be deported without the intervention of a human rights court. Scrapping “net zero” targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in order to lower energy bills.
Scottish National Party (SNP)
FILE – John Swinney, Scotland’s First Minister and leader of the Scottish National Party, speaks at the party’s general election manifesto launch at Patina in Edinburgh, Scotland, on June 19, 2024. (Jane Barlow/PA via The Associated Press, File)
Who is their leader? John Swinney.
Mr Swinney, 60, became the SNP’s third leader in just over a year in May. He has sought to bring stability to a party in turmoil since the abrupt resignation of Scotland’s longtime first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, last year amid a campaign finance investigation and the eventual criminal charges against her husband. Mr Swinney is a long-time member of the party, having joined at age 15 and served as leader from 2000 to 2004.
How many seats did they win in the last election? 48
What do they promise? Swinney has said that if his party wins a majority in Scotland, it will open Scottish independence negotiations with the London-based British government. He wants Scotland to rejoin the European Union and the single market. He has also called for an increase in the public health budget, the removal of British nuclear deterrents from Scotland and an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
Green Party
FILE – Green Party co-leaders Adrian Ramsay, right, and Carla Denier pose with supporters during the party’s general election manifesto launch in Hove, England, June 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)
Who is their leader? Cara Deniel and Adrienne Ramsay.
Denier, a mechanical engineer, worked in the wind energy sector before joining the Green Party in 2011. The 38-year-old served as a local councillor in Bristol, a city in southwest England, for nine years. In 2021, he was elected co-leader of the Green Party alongside Ramsay, a local government politician with a history of working for environmental charities.
How many seats did they win in the last election? 1
What do they promise? To phase out nuclear power and make the UK net zero by 2040. The Greens have promised to invest £24 billion a year in home insulation and £40 billion a year in the green economy, to be paid for by a carbon tax, a new wealth tax on the super-rich and higher income taxes for millions of high earners.
