UK incumbent Sunak and Starmer face off in voting

The Liberal Democrat leader cast his vote in a church hall in his constituency early today.

For those unfamiliar, the centrist Liberal Democrats formed a coalition government with the Conservatives from 2010 to 2015. The Liberal Democrats are also the only major party that supports Britain rejoining the EU single market, which would undo key elements of Brexit.

Davie has taken an unconventional approach to his election campaign, grabbing as much attention as possible with a series of extraordinary stunts including paddleboarding, riding rollercoasters, taking Zumba classes and even dropping to the ground on a bungee cord while shouting “Vote Lib Dem”.

When either Mr Sunak or Mr Starmer take to the stage to celebrate their victory in tomorrow’s UK election, their moment of triumph will be joined by a man with a bin on his head or someone dressed as Elmo from Sesame Street.

Among the more than 4,500 candidates standing for Parliament’s 650 seats are candidates from far-right parties, issue-specific campaigners and, in a uniquely British tradition, some who simply mock elections altogether.

The best-known figure in the latter category is Earl Vinface, an “intergalactic space warrior and leader of the Rycrons from planet Sigma IX”, who is challenging Mr Sunak in a Northern England constituency.

Dressed in a silver costume with a matching cape and wearing a silver trash can as a helmet, Binface said he wanted the election to be a “Bin Independence Day” and argued he was the “decent” choice for voters.

Read the full story here.

Experts are predicting low voter turnout in today’s UK elections as many people across the country feel politically disenchanted and hopeless about the future.

Just over 67% of registered voters cast ballots in Britain’s last general election in 2019, a significant increase over the 68.8% who turned out in 2017. John Curtice, one of Britain’s leading pollsters, said he would not be surprised if turnout was “low” again.

“There’s clearly a lot of disappointment with the current government, but not much enthusiasm for an alternative,” he said.

UK media is under strict blackout while the vote is taking place, but a recent social media trend, #dogsatpollingstations, is filling the void.

Open up X or Instagram on Election Day in the UK and you’ll see dog owners (and the occasional cat owner) proudly killing two birds with one stone by taking their dogs for a walk while exercising their democratic right.

One of our favorites is Mango, whose owner is Annie Hill, the London-based platform and social media editor for NBC News.

Britain is in the grip of a cost-of-living crisis: Real wages have been stable for a decade, the average salary in the UK is £29,669 (about $38,000), and utility and food prices are soaring. Meanwhile, Britain has the worst homelessness rate in the developed world, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and government statistics show 30% of children are growing up in poverty.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak said a “bright future” lay ahead after inflation fell to its target of 2% last month from 11% in 2022. The party has promised tax cuts and public spending cuts that some economists say are unrealistic given an already-thin budget.

Labour has refused to raise income tax, wary of Conservative accusations of economic irresponsibility, and some economists say some tax hikes may be unavoidable if Labour wants to improve public services.

Other key issues for voters are the much-loved but underfunded and ageing National Health Service (NHS) and rising immigration despite promises to reduce it after Brexit, while Mr Sunak has bet much of his manifesto on controversial plans to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda and introducing compulsory national service for 18-year-olds.

Once a bustling seaside resort, its pier is dotted with just a handful of holidaymakers, but there are signs of change in the town, which could turn this quiet backwater into a vanguard of the British right if Nigel Farage, a close aide to former US President Donald Trump, is elected to Parliament today.

“He’s unproven but I’m going to give him a chance,” said Neville Harling, 67, as we sat on the outdoor patio of the Moon and Starfish Wetherspoon pub during a rare, minor heatwave last week.

Farage, who leads the right-wing Reform Britain party and is one of Britain’s most controversial public figures, had celebrated the launch of his election campaign in the same pub just days earlier.

Read the full story here.

Starmer will face off against Sunak, who has led the Conservative Party for 14 years.

But there is little agreement on what kind of leader Starmer, 61, would be, or could be, to govern the world’s sixth-largest economy and a key US ally.

He has the most working-class upbringing of his generation of candidates, but he is also the first since the 1950s to have been knighted by the royal family and already wear the title “Sir”. He is a vegetarian and a self-described socialist, but is disliked by many on the left, who accuse him of moving to the right in his quest for power. Friends describe him as an affable but competitive football fanatic, but in public he often comes across as stuffy and uncharismatic.

Read the full story here.

Rishi Sunak is no stranger to making history: He is Britain’s first British-Indian prime minister, the country’s first Hindu leader and, at 42, the youngest prime minister in more than 200 years. He’s also perhaps the richest man to ever rule from No. 10 Downing Street.

Sunak, 44, is poised to set a new record in today’s UK general election.

There is a feeling hanging over voters that there is one rule for London’s elite, and another for the rest of Britain after years of Conservative government. Living standards are under pressure. The gap between the super-rich and everyone else continues to widen. Public services are not just struggling, there is a widespread sense that they are on the brink of collapse.

Read the full story here.

Britain’s national broadcasting regulator, Ofcom, has strict regulations in place on what UK-based media can and cannot say during the vote, to ensure political coverage is fair on election day.

NBC News’ London bureau will adhere to these rules as it covers the election.

This includes avoiding directly discussing election-related issues, individuals, or polls. Content published before the polls open is permitted, but media outlets are not allowed to publish anything new on election day.

But once the polls close, there’s no room for slack.