LONDON (AP) — Millions of British voters are heading to the polls this Thursday to elect a new House of Commons and a new government in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The voters will choose 650 Members of Parliament representing as many constituencies, and the leader of the party that wins the most seats will become the Prime Minister.
It is expected that the conservatives of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will lose to the main opposition group, the center-left Labour Party, after 14 years of conservative government with five different leaders.
The Conservatives and Labour parties usually dominate British politics in the British electoral system, which makes it difficult for smaller parties to obtain parliamentary representation.
However, in the struggle are also the Liberal Democrats, Reform UK, the Scottish National Party, and the Greens, among others.
Next, a look at the parties, who leads them, and what they promise:
The Conservative Party
Who is their leader? The Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak.
Sunak, 44, came to power in October 2022 when he inherited the Conservative Party and an economy in crisis after Liz Truss's brief tenure. He graduated from Oxford, worked as an investment fund manager at Goldman Sachs, and is the first British Hindu leader. Critics accuse him of lacking political judgment and being disconnected from ordinary voters.
In the last election they won 365 seats.
What do they promise? To achieve a stronger economy and reduce taxes by around £17 billion (approximately $21.4 billion) per year. Increase public health spending above inflation and raise military spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2030. The party also promises to drastically reduce immigration and relocate some asylum seekers to Rwanda.
The Labor Party
Who is their leader? Keir Starmer.
The 61-year-old former lawyer, former chief prosecutor of England and Wales, is the favorite to be the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He is pragmatic and centrist, and has worked to distance the party from the more openly socialist policies of his predecessor, Jeremy Corbyn. Critics say he is boring and unambitious, but the Labour Party has gained popularity under his leadership.
In the last election, they won 202 seats.
What do they promise? To promote the "creation of wealth" by encouraging investment and improving British infrastructure such as railways, within a 10-year infrastructure strategy. To create a state-owned clean energy company to increase energy security, funded by a tax on windfall profits from gas and oil giants.
Liberal Democrats Party
Who is their leader? Ed Davey.
Davey, 58, was an economics researcher and served as Secretary of Energy and Climate Change during an uncomfortable coalition of conservatives and liberal democrats between 2012 and 2015. He was not a well-known name until these elections, when he caught the media's attention with several striking actions, such as jumping from a crane with a bungee cord to urge voters to "take a leap of faith."
In the last election, they won 11 seats.
What do they promise? Improving the overstretched British healthcare and social protection systems, including free nursing services at home. Investing in renewable energy and home insulation. Returning to the European Union's single market.
Reform UK Party
Who is their leader? Nigel Farage.
Farage, a combative politician who prides himself on disrupting British politics, has been a major headache for the Conservatives since he announced he would run for office. The 60-year-old populist has long been a divisive figure, with eurosceptic and anti-immigrant rhetoric. He was one of the main drivers behind Brexit and now attracts many disenchanted Conservative voters with his promises to reduce immigration and focus on "British values". Farage has run for Parliament seven times, but has never won.
They did not win any seats in the last election.
What do they promise? Freezing all "non-essential immigration" and prohibiting international students from bringing their dependent family members into the country. Leaving the European Convention on Human Rights so that asylum seekers can be deported without court intervention.
Scottish National Party
Who is their leader? John Swinney.
Swinney, 60, became the third leader of the SNP in just one year in May. He has tried to bring stability to the party, which has been in turmoil since Scotland's veteran First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, unexpectedly resigned last year during a campaign finance investigation.
In the last election, they won 48 seats.
What do they promise? Swinney has said that if his party achieves a majority of seats in Scotland, he will try to open negotiations on independence. He wants to rejoin the European Union and the European single market. He has also called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
Green Party
Who are their leaders? Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsay.
Denyer, a mechanical engineer, worked in wind energy before joining the Greens in 2011. She is 38 years old and served as a local politician for nine years in the city of Bristol, in southwest England. In 2021, she was elected co-leader of the Greens alongside Ramsay, another local politician with experience in environmental charities.
In the last election, they won 1 seat.
What do they promise? To gradually phase out nuclear energy and lead the United Kingdom to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040.