The British Parliament was officially dissolved before the election

The British Parliament was officially dissolved on Thursday 30 May in preparation for the general election on 4 July. This election should usher in an era in the United Kingdom as Labor leads the way over the Conservatives.

After fourteen years of opposition, Labor finds itself in a strong position five weeks before an election and its leader, Keir Starmer, a former lawyer specializing in human rights, appears the clear favorite to take over the government.

Unable to stem his party’s slide in the polls, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak tried to regain the initiative last week, calling the polls in July when they are not expected until the fall. Since then, this former banker and finance minister has traveled his country at a frenzied pace, but has begun his campaign in earnest, be it legislative elections announced in pouring rain or marked by a visit to Belfast, the titanic district. Attracts supporters who liken it to the sinking of the famous liner.

The surprise result did not have a miraculous effect this time and did not change the dynamic already present in the first week of the campaign. Opinion polls put Labor on average at 45% of voting intentions compared to 23% for the Tories, suggesting a huge win for Labor given simple majority voting.

End of an era

A new phase of campaigning begins with the official dissolution of the elected parliament in 2019, following elections won by Boris Johnson against far-left Jeremy Corbyn.

As 650 seats in the Lok Sabha are currently vacant, there is a race for succession in those constituencies. Whatever the outcome, the general elections promise the end of an era at the Palace of Westminster after fourteen years of Conservative dominance. As many as 129 representatives have so far announced they will not contest again and have just days to pack their bags. 77 of them were conservatives, an unprecedented exodus for the ruling party.

A few elected representatives of the majority have chosen to face disastrous referendums. Others, from all sides, want to devote more time to their families or retrain, fed up with years of Brexit, political scandals of the Boris Johnson era and generally rising public hostility.

Among the Tories who represent themselves, some do not hide their irritation by being surprised. Steve Baker, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, continued his holiday in Greece, where he explained that he was preparing his campaign.

120 business figures support the workers

In an attempt to remedy the situation, Rishi Sunak hopes to score points during the scheduled debates with Keir Starmer, the first of which is scheduled for Tuesday, June 4 on the ITV television channel. For now, he has aimed mainly at the heart of conservative voters, instead proposing national service for 18-year-olds or tax cuts for the elderly.

Public fatigue with the Conservatives, victims of their incessant infighting, has been linked to the decline of public services – especially health – as well as the economic problems of the past two years, with Labor losing purchasing power. . In a symbol of a formal refocusing by Keir Starmer from 2020, the party this week won the support of 120 business figures, previously in a reverse against Jeremy Corbyn’s plan.

However, there was a setback this week when Diane Abbott, the first black woman MP elected and a figurehead of the British left, denounced Labour’s intention to reject the nomination. Keir Starmer has promised that the fate of the suspended politician for racist comments in 2023 is not decided. But the treatment accorded the 70-year-old elected official, thirty-seven of whom are deputy, has sparked fierce criticism.