Catching everyone - even his own ministers - by surprise, UK premier Rishi Sunak called a General Election for 4 July 2024.
Yesterday.
I opted to try and stay up all night to watch the developing story. The last time I did that was for the Brexit referendum, eight years ago.
Here's what happened last night.
Thursday 4th July, 2024
Also Independence Day in the USA, today is the date of the British General Election. Opinion Polls have been telling us for weeks that the Labour Party, led by Sir Keir Starmer, will win with a massive majority, possibly sending the Conservative Party into oblivion. If the Reform Party, previously UKIP, led once again by Nigel Farage, takes votes from disgruntled Tories, it looks even worse for the governing party, led by Rishi Sunak, the party’s fifth leader in 14 years.
Since David (now Lord) Cameron foolishly agreed to hold a simple yes/no referendum on leaving the European Union, the party and its several governments has failed on so many fronts, that many Tory MPs will surely be relieved to no longer be in government, when they lose their “safe” seats today. Some have already announced that they are standing down, in order to avoid the embarrassment of defeat at the poll.
Thursday 4 July 2024, 11.00 pm
Polling stations in the UK have just closed. The official exit poll predicts a landslide for the Labour Party. Labour 410; Conservative 131; Liberal Democrats 61; Reform 13; SNP 10; Greens 2; others 23.
This is only a poll based on 130 constituencies, yet in the last five general elections, the exit poll has been uncannily accurate.
I’ve just got myself an ice-cream and am going to settle down to watch the first actual results come in ….. I opted to watch the coverage on SKY News. I'm glad I did, as my former A-Level Spanish student, Andy Burnham, the current mayor of Greater Manchester, former MP and foreign secretary in the Blair/Brown governments. I was impressed.
More later …..
Thursday 5 July 2024, 05.00 am
It’s six hours since polling stations closed, and the count started.
The state of play, at 05.45 am, as Rishi Sunak retains his seat, with 436 out of 650 results declared, is Labour 308; Conservative 67; Liberal Democrats 40; Reform 4; Green 4; others 14.
The Tories have lost a record 12 cabinet ministers, namely Alex Chalk, Therese Coffey, David Davies, Michelle Donelan, Oliver Dowden, Liam Fox, Lucy Frazer, Gillian Keegan, Brandon Lewis, Johnny Mercer, Penny Mordaunt, Grant Shapps. The detestable Jacob Rees-Mogg is also gone!
I’m going to take a break – I need a cuppa and an early breakfast …..
Friday 5 July 2024, 06.00 am - Labour wins the 2024 General Election
In the short time I was away in the kitchen Labour achieved the 326 seats it needed to win the election. Sir Keir Starmer is the new Prime Minister.
Friday 5 July 2024, 06.30 am
With results in from 550 seats – 100 to go – Labour has 373; Conservatives 91; Liberal Democrats 51; Reform 6; Green 5; others 24.
Friday 5 July 2024, 07.30 am
Labour reach 400 seats with just 34 still to declare.
Bye for now!
© The History Man
Sources:
Cornish Times
El Periodico
France 24
Google Imagenes
Independent
Reuters
SKY News "Election Night"
Wikipedia
Tags:
Alex Chalk, Brandon Lewis, Conservative, David Davies, general election, Gillian Keegan, Grant Shapps, Greens, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Johnny Mercer, Keir Starmer, Labour, Liam Fox, Liberal Democrat, Lucy Frazer, Michelle Donelan, Oliver Dowden, opinion poll, Penny Mordaunt, Reform, Rishi Sunak, SNP, Therese Coffey, vote, voting