British polls: Sunak's future on the line amid labour surge

LONDON: Rishi Sunak's future as Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party hangs in the balance as the nation heads to the polls. Approximately 46.5 million Britons are eligible to vote in the election, selecting members of Parliament across 650 constituencies. A majority requires 326 seats under the first-past-the-post system.

Sunak, 44, has been trailing behind the Labour Party led by 61-year-old Keir Starmer throughout the six-week campaign. Both leaders concluded their campaigns with contrasting messages: Sunak warned voters against giving a 'supermajority' to 'tax-raising' Labour, while Starmer played down the prospects of a landslide victory to avoid low voter turnout.

With polling stations open from 7 am to 10 pm local time, voters will now have to carry identification documents – a new mandatory requirement. The first indications of the election's outcome will come from the exit polls, with counting commencing immediately after the booths close. The stakes are high with Sunak's last-ditch effort to garner support, amid predictions of a Labour landslide.