May 6, 2021
3 mins read

Litmus Test for Labour as UK Goes To Poll

About 48 million people in England, Scotland and Wales will be able to take part in the elections on Wednesday, the first major democratic event in the UK since the pandemic hit the world last year, reports Asian Lite Newsdesk

Millions of voters in England, Scotland and Wales will head to the polls on Thursday, the first electoral test for parties since the Conservatives won a majority at the 2019 general election.

Polls open from 07.00 to 20:00 BST. The results are due from Friday.

There is immense pressure on the leader of the Labour Party Sir Keir Starmer after new polls put his party far behind the ruling Conservatives in several key races, according to many reports.

At the same time, the Tories enjoy a poll bounce from the government’s successful coronavirus vaccination programme in recent months after it faced huge criticism over its pandemic management last year.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the Conservatives faced some “tough contests” but the party was “fighting for every vote”, the BBC reported.

Meanwhile, the Labour leader Sir Keir said his party was doing the same but had “a mountain to climb” to win back support in key battlegrounds.

According to BBC report, about 48 million people will be able to take part in the elections, many of them postponed from last year because of the pandemic.

As well as polls for the Scottish Parliament and the Senedd in Wales, there are elections for seats on 143 English councils and 13 local mayors. There will also be a by-election for the Westminster seat of Hartlepool.

Thursday’s elections will be the first since Sir Keir took over as Labour leader 13 months ago and Sir Ed Davey won the Liberal Democrat leadership race last August.

Campaigning has been curtailed by Covid restrictions, with large public meetings moved online and limits on groups of activists going door-to-door.

Speaking in Stourbridge, in support of the Tory candidate for West Midlands mayor, Johnson said: “It is a very tough set of elections.

“When we stood last time for of these many council seats we were at a high water mark and we will be fighting for absolutely every vote,” the BBC quoted Johnson as saying.

Asked if the Conservatives could win a “hat-trick” in the mayoral races in Tees Valley and West Midlands, and the Hartlepool by-election, he said: “These are tough contests.

“Hartlepool hasn’t been a Conservative seat since its inception. It will be a very tough fight, but I hope everybody gets out to vote,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Labour leader’s final day campaigning began with a visit to Pontefract to support the party’s candidate for West Yorkshire mayor.

Asked about a Guardian report, based on internal polling that the party is heading for a big defeat in Thursday’s Hartlepool by-election, he said: “There was a mountain to climb when I took over as leader of the Labour Party.

“We lost in December 2019 very badly and I’ve got to make sure the Labour Party is in a position to win the next general election when it comes. That’s the mountain we’re climbing. We’re on that mountain, we’re climbing and we’re going into the elections tomorrow fighting for every vote,” Sir Keir was quoted as saying.

Also Read-India, UK to ink £1 bn trade deal

Read More-India-UK Launch ‘Roadmap 2030’

Previous Story

‘Nothing more powerful than being in a dark room to share a story’

Next Story

Japan concerned over Beijing’s moves in South China Sea

Latest from -Top News

India-US Trade Deal Likely This Week

The interim trade deal would be an initial step towards a comprehensive bilateral free trade agreement between Indian and the US….reports Asian Lite News India is expected to finalise an interim trade

One Year Later, Hasina’s Son Raises Red Flag

Hasina’s abrupt exit last August after violent student protests was widely seen as a blow to democracy in the Muslim-majority nation of 170 million….reports Asian Lite News Sajeeb Wazed, son of former

Global South Finds Its Campus in India

The question is no longer if India can attract global talent, but whether it can build the conditions to do so at scale—with care and vision. Done right, India could emerge as

Jaishankar Gets Real on India-US Ties

The EAM underlined the structural drivers of the bilateral relationship, saying, “The trend line over the last 25 years has actually been very strong….reports Asian Lite News External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar

Polls Early Next Year, Yunus Tells US

The Chief Advisor invited Rubio to visit Bangladesh ahead of the general election to witness the country’s transition to democracy firsthand…reports Asian Lite News Bangladesh’s interim Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus has urged
Go toTop

Don't Miss

Rahul Nanda declared bankrupt in the UK

The bank maintains that it has not got its due

Hinduja Group’s The OWO Residences Record Robust Sales

The OWO was closed to the public and it was