The UK Parliament was officially dissolved on Thursday ahead of the 4 July General Election. The opposition Labour party is holding a significant lead over the incumbent Conservatives in opinion polls.
After 14 years in opposition, the centre-left Labour party is primed for a strong result just five weeks before the election. The party's leader Keir Starmer, a former human rights lawyer, is leading as favourite to become Prime Minister.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who has failed to halt his Conservative Party’s decline in opinion polls, attempted to regain control last week by calling the election in July, despite it being expected in autumn.
However, this surprise move has done little to help Sunak's cause, with public opinion changing little in the campaign’s first week. Polls place Labour at 45% of voters’ intentions, against the Tories’ 23%. Given the simple majority voting system, this suggests a significant victory for Labour.
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A new campaign phase begins with the official dissolution of the Parliament elected in 2019, following a triumphant victory by then-leader Boris Johnson against the leftist Jeremy Corbyn. The race for the 650 vacant seats in the House of Commons is now underway.
Regardless of the result, this general election signals an end to an era at the Palace of Westminster after 14 years of Conservative rule. So far, 129 MPs have announced they will not be re-running. They’ve had only a few days to pack their bags, among them are 77 Conservatives, an unprecedented exodus for a governing party.
