British elections

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King Makes Starmer's Victory Official

Labour leader is now UK's prime minister

(Newser) - Labour leader Keir Starmer officially became British prime minister on Friday, hours after his Labour Party swept to power in a landslide victory after more than a decade in opposition. Starmer was elevated to the nation's leader after a private ceremony with King Charles III in Buckingham Palace. In...

Sunak Delivers His Final Speech as PM

His next stop was Buckingham Palace

(Newser) - The British political system doesn't give lame ducks much time to linger in power. Hours after the vote count confirmed the Labour Party's landslide victory and Rishi Sunak conceded defeat, the Conservative leader traveled to London and delivered a final speech as prime minister. He then went to...

UK Swings 'Wildly to the Left' on Big Election Night

Britain's Labour Party sweeps to power

(Newser) - Britain's Labour Party swept to power Friday after more than a decade in opposition, official results showed, as a jaded electorate appeared to hand the party a landslide victory but also a mammoth task of reinvigorating a stagnant economy and dispirited nation, the AP reports. Labour leader Keir Starmer...

UK Exit Poll: A Landslide for Labour
UK Exit Poll:
Labour, in a Rout
Jul 4, 2024 4:50 PM CDT

UK Exit Poll: Labour, in a Rout

Keir Starmer is on track to govern with a huge parliamentary majority

(Newser) - The Labour Party is on track to win 410 parliamentary seats, a major exit poll showed late Thursday, making leader Keir Starmer the UK's next prime minister. That would nearly provide Labour its best election result ever, CNN reports. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Conservative Party was running a...

Sunak Could Lose His Seat in Tory Wipeout
Sunak's Party
Set for Historic
Loss in UK
Elections
THE RUNDOWN
Jul 4, 2024 11:00 AM CDT

Sunak's Party Set for Historic Loss in UK Elections

In a big first, even the prime minister could lose his seat

(Newser) - This year, the Fourth of July is Election Day in the UK—and it's expected to be Rishi Sunak's last day as prime minister, with polls suggesting his Conservative Party faces a loss of historic proportions. The party held 349 of the 650 seats in Parliament when Sunak...

UK Poised to Elect 'Snoozefest' Leader
Meet 'No-Drama Starmer,'
Britain's Likely New PM
the rundown
Jul 3, 2024 1:54 PM CDT

Meet 'No-Drama Starmer,' Britain's Likely New PM

Sir Keir Starmer expected to return Labour Party to power

(Newser) - Unless British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his Conservative Party pull off an improbably huge comeback in Thursday's election, he is on the verge of being replaced by the country's first PM from the Labour Party in 14 years. Polls show that Sir Keir Starmer is poised to...

Pro-Palestinian Protesters Drown Out UK Candidates

Sunak, Starmer hold final televised debate of campaign

(Newser) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour Party leader Keir Starmer struggled to get their messages across Wednesday as the final televised debate of the election campaign began, as protesters outside the building drowned out their answers. The two politicians vying to become Britain's leader after the July 4...

Sunak Protection Officer Arrested Over Election Bets

Officer is suspected of using inside information to bet on British election date

(Newser) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called a surprise election last month—and investigators believe one of his protection officers saw it as an opportunity to cash in. Police say an officer working as part of Sunak's close protection team was arrested this week on suspicion of misconduct in public...

Farage Launches Campaign, Gets Milkshaked

Reform Party leader had drink thrown over him as he left pub

(Newser) - It's election season in Britain and the milkshakes are flying again. A 25-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of assault Tuesday after Nigel Farage had a milkshake thrown over him on his first day of campaigning, Politico reports. Video shows the woman throwing a McDonald's milkshake over the...

UK PM Wants to Bring In Compulsory Service for Teens

Opposition calls campaign announcement on national service 'desperate'

(Newser) - In a move the opposition Labour Party calls "desperate," British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is promising to bring back a form of conscription if his Conservative Party wins the July 4 election. Sunak, who surprised the country by calling the election last week, said Sunday that the party...

UK's Sunak Makes Surprise Election Move

With his party far behind in the polls, prime minister calls an election

(Newser) - With his Conservative Party far behind the opposition Labour Party in the polls, Prime Minister has surprised Britain by calling an election for July 4. The latest possible election date would have been January 28 and a fall election had been widely expected. In a statement outside 10 Downing Street,...

US, UK Impose Sanctions Over 'Malicious Cyberoperations'

'It's right that we take measures to protect ourselves,' says Sunak, announcing moves against China-linked hacks

(Newser) - The US and British governments on Monday announced sanctions against a company and two people linked to the Chinese government over a string of malicious cyberactivity targeting the UK's election watchdog and lawmakers in both countries. Officials said those sanctioned are responsible for a hack that may have gained...

Boris Johnson Hails 'Great Stonking Mandate'

Conservatives win historic victory in UK election

(Newser) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is celebrating what he calls a "huge great stonking mandate" to deliver Brexit after a landslide win for his Conservative Party in Thursday's election. The party won a majority of at least 76 seats in Parliament, its biggest since the 1980s, while the...

Exit Poll Shows Johnson on His Way to Clear Victory

Vote would put Brexit on for next month

(Newser) - Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party is likely to win a solid majority of seats in Parliament, an exit poll suggested late Thursday—a decisive outcome to a Brexit-dominated British election that should allow Johnson to fulfill his plan to take the UK out of the European Union next month. It...

Crowd Laughed at Johnson, but Not in BBC Clip

Network calls it a mistake after editing audience's reaction to question asked of the candidate

(Newser) - Boris Johnson could well have fretted that a bit of mocking during a debate of British party leaders would made him look bad. Not to worry. When the BBC showed the clip on its newscast the next day, the audience's response to a question asked of Johnson had been...

After Shocking Election Turn, Here's What's Next in UK

Conservatives looking to form government with DUP

(Newser) - Theresa May appears set to stay on as prime minister despite the spectacular failure of her attempt to increase the Conservative Party's majority with an early election in the UK. The BBC reports that May, whose party lost 12 seats in Parliament, leaving it without the majority needed to...

Conservatives Dealt Huge Blow in British Election

Theresa May's election gamble backfires

(Newser) - She gambled on an early election—and she lost, big time. Theresa May and the Conservative Party have been dealt a huge blow in Britain's election, with the party losing its majority in Parliament after early predictions that it would gain as many as 80 seats. Full results have...

Polls Open in Unpredictable UK Election

Campaign has not gone to plan for May

(Newser) - After weeks of fierce campaigning and unpredictable twists, polling stations have opened across Britain in an election to choose a new government. Polls opened at 7am Thursday as voters choose 650 lawmakers for the House of Commons. Prime Minister Theresa May called the snap election in hopes of increasing the...

Weird Election, Indeed: Surprises Abound in UK

Conservative Party sweeps to power

(Newser) - The Conservative Party swept to power today in Britain's Parliamentary elections, winning a wholly unexpected and resounding victory and bringing the election to a much-quicker-than-expected conclusion. Polls ahead of Election Day showed Conservatives locked in a tight race with the opposition Labour Party, raising the possibility of days or...

UK Elects Youngest Lawmaker Since 1667

20-year-old hasn't finished her politics degree yet

(Newser) - After yesterday's election , the UK now has a lawmaker too young to get into a bar in the US, let alone Congress. Mhairi Black, the Scottish National Party's candidate for a district near Glasgow, is 20 years old, and her victory makes her the youngest member of Parliament...

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