The UK is going to hold its first elections in almost 5 years. Here's what you need to know

LONDON (AP) Britain will hold its first national elections in almost five years Thursday, with opinion polls suggesting Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Conservative party will be punished for failing to deliver on promises made during 14 years in power.

THE center-right conservatives took power in the depths of the global financial crisis and have won three more elections since then. But those years were marked by a sluggish economy, declining public services and a series of scandals, making conservatives, as they are commonly known, easy targets for critics from the left and right.

THE The Labour Partywhich leans more to the left, is well ahead in most polls after having focused its campaign on a single word: Change.

But conservatives also face other challenges. New Reform Party diverts votes from the right wing of the Conservatives after criticising Conservative leaders for their failure to control immigration.

Here's a look at the election and what's at stake.

How will the election take place?

Across the UK, citizens will elect the 650 members of the House of Commons, one from each local constituency. There will be no primaries or runoffs, just a single round of voting on July 4.

Britain uses a first-past-the-post voting system, which means that the candidate who comes out on top in each constituency will be elected, even if they do not get 50% of the vote. This system has generally cemented the dominance of the two largest parties, the Conservatives and Labour, because it is difficult for smaller parties to win seats unless they have concentrated support in particular regions.

How is the Prime Minister chosen?

The party that wins a majority in the Commons, alone or with the support of another party, will form the next government and its leader will be Prime Minister.

That means the results will determine the political direction of the government, led by center-right conservatives for 14 years. The center-left Labor Party is widely considered to be in the strongest position.

Running ?

Altar, a former head of the Treasury Prime Minister since October 2022, leads his party in the elections. His main opponent is Keir Starmerformer Director of Public Prosecutions in England and leader of the Labour Party since April 2020.

But other parties, some of which enjoy strong regional support, could play a crucial role in forming a coalition government if no one wins an absolute majority.

The Scottish National PartyThe Liberal Democrats, which campaign for Scottish independence, the Liberal Democrats and the Democratic Unionist Party, which seeks to maintain ties between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, are currently the three largest major parties in Parliament after the Conservatives and the Labor Party. Many observers suggest the new Reform Party, led by Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage, could siphon off votes from the Conservatives.

Why are the conservatives under pressure?

The Conservatives have faced many challenges since taking power in 2010. First came the fallout from the global financial crisis, which ballooned Britain's debt and forced the Conservatives to impose years of austerity to balance the budget. Then they led Britain outside the European Unionfought one of the The deadliest COVID-19 outbreaks in Western Europe, and I saw inflation is soaring after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Whatever the circumstances, many voters blame the Conservatives for the litany of problems facing Britain, from sewage spills And unreliable rail service to the cost of living crisis, crime and the influx of migrants crossing the Channel on inflatable boats.

On top of this, the party has been tainted by repeated ethical failings by government ministers, including parties to break confinement in government offices. These scandals drove former Prime Minister Boris Johnson from office and ultimately from Parliament after he was found guilty of lied to legislatorsHer successor, Liz Truss, only lasted 45 days after her economic policy. destroyed the economy.

What are the major issues?

The economy: Britain is struggling with high inflation and slow economic growth, which combine to make most people feel poorer. The Conservatives have managed to control inflation, which slowed to 2% in the year to May after peaking at 11.1% in October 2022, but growth remains sluggish, raising questions about the government's economic policies.

Immigration: thousands of asylum seekers and economic migrants have crossed the Channel in fragile inflatable boats in recent years, sparking criticism that the government has lost control of Britain's borders. The Conservatives' flagship policy to stop the boats is a plan to deport some of these migrants to Rwanda. Critics say the plan violates international law, is inhumane and will do nothing to stop people fleeing war, unrest and famine.

Health care: British National Health Servicewhich provides free health care to all, is plagued by long waiting lists for everything from dental care to cancer treatments. Newspapers are full of stories of seriously ill patients forced to wait hours for an ambulance, then even longer for a hospital bed.

The environment: Sunak backtracks on series of environmental commitments, pushing back the deadline to end the sale of gasoline and diesel passenger vehicles and allowing new oil drilling in the North Sea. Critics say these are bad policies as the world tries to combat climate change.

Why are the elections taking place now?

Six weeks ago, Sunak surprised pundits and most of his own lawmakers by setting the election for July 4, at least three months earlier than expected.

While most observers thought the vote would take place in the fall, Sunak gambled on a summer election, hoping that positive economic news would help him convince voters that Conservative policies were starting to bear fruit.

The decision was so surprising that it embarrassed the Conservatives. Allegations emerged that party members and police officers assigned to protect government officials had bet on a summer electionsuggesting they held inside information and damaging Sunak's ability to claim that his party is more trustworthy than Labour.

Observers had been speculating for months about the election date, as the legislature was due to end in mid-December. Although each parliament is elected for a maximum of five years, the prime minister can call elections whenever he deems most politically advantageous.