UK elections 4J, live | Britons rush through final hours to vote on day pollsters predict end of ‘Tory’ era | International

British leaders vote without incident on election day and with Labour Party favourites

The two main British political leaders, Keir Starmer of the Labour Party and the Conservative Rishi Sunak, have already voted in the general election taking place in the United Kingdom on a cool, slightly sunny day. Around 46 million Britons are called to vote by a single-member majority system on the composition of the 650-seat House of Commons (lower), which begins at seven o’clock (peninsular time) on voting day and will last until 22.00.

The first to vote was the British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, who went to his polling station in Northallerton in the north of England with his wife Akshata Murthy shortly after voting began. The Conservative leader greeted journalists who were waiting for him at the Kirby Sigston centre in Northallerton, a town in the county of North Yorkshire where the constituency for which he hopes to be re-elected as MP is located.

About two hours later, Starmer, the favourite to win the election, appeared at his polling station in his Holborn and St Pancras constituency in London with his wife Victoria. The couple allowed the media to photograph them on their arrival, smiling widely and holding hands.

Voting went off without incident, with many Britons choosing to vote first thing in the morning before heading to work, as it is not a public holiday in the country. For the first time in a British general election, voters will have to go to schools with some form of photo ID, which could be a passport, driving licence or transport card in the case of retirees.

According to polls, Starmer’s Labour Party is the favourite to win these elections, potentially ending 14 years of Conservative government. Opinion polls don’t expect this hung parliament (suspending parliament if no party gets a majority), so there would be no need to resort to a coalition. (Efe)