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Tag: UK poll

  • UK Poll: High turnout as Labour runs into early lead

    UK Poll: High turnout as Labour runs into early lead

    By Wale Elegbede, London, United Kingdom

    There was a high turnout of voters across constituencies on Thursday in the United Kingdom general election.

    Polls opened at 7am and voters had until 10pm to express their choices among the 98 political parties that presented candidates for the exercise.

    There were long queues in some polling stations, especially after the close of work, while others had sizeable numbers of voters. However, postal vote returns were said to be lower than normalolling day, underscoring a sort of apathy.

    But,  it is believed the turnout could be one of the highest in recent election history.

    Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was the first leader to cast his vote at a polling station in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, with his wife, Akshata Murty.

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    Sunak hopes to be returned as the Conservative MP for Richmond and Northallerton.

    Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer was joined by his wife, Victoria, in North London, shortly before 10am to cast his ballot.

    The election was the first in the UK history that voters were asked to show photo identification before receiving a ballot paper. The exit polls were done 10 pm yesterday.

    Across the constituencies, it was gathered that Labour Party was on the ascendancy and it may portend the end of the Conservatives Party’s 14-year reign and a change of government.

    If Labour has majority,  Starmer will be elected. Sunak will give a speech on the steps of No 10 today (Friday) before heading off to Buckingham Palace to meet King Charles III, while Starmer moves into his new home.

    Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch, who is the Conservative candidate in North West Essex, has hit out at her local council over missing postal votes after more than 2,600 were delayed in the constituency.

    The cabinet minister wrote on X yesterday: “Five years ago, all but four Conservatives on Uttlesford council were voted out. People wanted ‘Change’. Instead, they got ‘Change for the WORSE’, electing an independent residents group who ran a blame-the-Tories campaign.

    “The community is now saddled with council leadership unable to carry out basic functions competently…. Now they’ve potentially disenfranchised up to 2,600 postal voters by forgetting to send them their ballot papers. Don’t change for the worse.”

    Last week, the council’s chief executive, Peter Holt, apologised for the error, stating that packs had been sent out to majority of postal voters.

  • 30 Nigerians on the ballot in UK poll

    30 Nigerians on the ballot in UK poll

    By Wale Elegbede

    No fewer than 30 men and women of Nigerian origin will be on the ballot in the United Kingdom’s elections scheduled for Thursday, July 4. The outcome of the poll should be known by Friday.

    An analysis of the finalised list of candidates by a UK election data supplier, Democracy Club, showed that 20 British-Nigerians will be representing mainstream parties, including the Labour Party, Conservatives Party, the Liberal Democrats, and the Reform UK, while the rest are from smaller parties or contesting as independents.

    With days before the make-or-mar election, the new Parliament is expected to be the most diverse in Britain’s history as more ethnic minorities, including Nigerians, in mainstream and fringe parties, are making strong overtures to the electorate with persuasive manifestos.

    To stand as a candidate in a UK Parliamentary General Election, a candidate must be at least 18 years old and a citizen of a commonwealth country who does not require leave to enter or remain in the UK, or has indefinite leave to remain in the UK.

    Some of the candidates are seeking re-elections to the parliament, others are appearing on the ballot paper for the first time, hoping to get the votes of their constituencies.

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    The UK Labour Party has the highest number of Nigerians with the party’s parliamentary election tickets. Eight British Nigerians are representing the party at the election. The current political climate in the country suggests there are high chances for some of the candidates to win in the safe Labour strongholds.

    Closely following with most tickets to Nigerians ahead of the poll is the Liberal Democrats which has six member of parliament candidates flying its mandate.

    However, the Conservatives Party has four candidates of Nigerian origin, out of which three are seeking re-election.

    The Christian Alliance Party has four Nigerians while Nigel Farage’s-led Reform UK has one with its logo.

    Four Nigerians will be running as Independent candidates, two will also be flying the Workers Party flag, one for the Social Democratic Party and one, Olusola Oni, will be standing as the candidate of the Yoruba Party of the UK in Peckham.

    In the fray for a comeback to the parliament are the Conservative trio of Kemi Badenoch ( North West Essex), Helen Grant (Maidstone) and Abimbola Afolabi ( Hitchin and Harpenden).

    Ms Badenoch lived in the US and Nigeria as a child before returning to the UK at 16. She joined the Tories in 2005, aged 25. She stood for election five years later but came third.

    In 2017, she was elected to Parliament and has had a rising profile rising within the Conservative Party and has been tipped consistently for big things, including the prime minister seat.

    The 44-year-old full name is Olukemi Olufunto. Her father, Femi Adegoke, was a GP and her mother, Feyi Adegoke, was a professor of physiology.

    Grant, the Tories parliamentary candidate, led the delegation of His Majesty, King Charles III, to the inauguration of President Bola Tinubu as the President of Nigeria.  She was also the UK Trade Envoy to Nigeria. 

    Bim Afolabi was Economic Secretary to the Treasury and the 38-year-old is seeking to return to the parliament on the platform Conservative. His father, a consultant doctor in the NHS, moved to the UK from Nigeria in his early twenties.

    Also pushing for returns to the parliament on the platform of the Labour Party are the quartet of Florence Dauta Eshalomi (Vauxhall and Camberwell Green ), Kate Osamor (Edmonton and Winchmore Hill), Chi Onwurah ( Newcastle-upon-Tyne Central and West), and 32-year-old Taiwo Owatemi (Coventry North East).

    Others in the run for election on Labour Party ticket are: Seyi Agboola (Stratford-on-Avon), former UK Parachute Regiment soldier, Bayo Alaba (Southend East & Rochford); Damola Animashaun (Tewkesbury),  and Councillor Ese Erheriene (Woking).

    The Liberal Democratic Party has six British Nigerians on the ballot to represent it at the election. The list includes Ukonu Obasi (Gravesend), a public health lecturer at Arden University, London;  Ms Chika Akinwale (Norwich North), a district councillor in Ely who said improving access to health services was a key issue for her in the constituency, and Joy Temitayo Salaja ( Nuneaton).

    Others are experienced and longstanding Liberal Democrat activist, Michael Bukola (Thurrock); Ade Adeyemo (Solihull West and Shirley), a former Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, and Gloria Adebo, who works as a data analyst and will run for the party in Rutherglen.

    Meanwhile, Augustine Obodo (Bicester and Woodstock constituency), will be flying the Reform UK Party flag at the election.

    Overall, 4,379 candidates are standing for the July 4, 2024 General Election. The number is 981 more than in 2019, when 3,398 stood. It’s the most candidates ever, the previous record being 2010 where 4,093 were fielded.

    There are 650 constituencies for the election and the increase in candidate numbers is spread across almost all. All seats have at least five candidates, and nearly half have eight or more.

    Expectedly, the seats of Rishi Sunak (Conservative) and Keir Starmer (Labour), the two men who may be Prime Minister after the election are those with the most candidates.

    Sunak’s releection push in his Richmond and Northallerton constituency sees him face 12 other challengers, including a British Nigerian, Niko Omilana, who was also listed as an Independent candidate for the constituency.

    The UK Boundary Commission did boundaries review to reflect population changes and the 2024 election will be fought for the first time on new constituency boundaries with new names.

  • Jonathan congratulates Cameron, Conservatives on UK poll victory

    Jonathan congratulates Cameron, Conservatives on UK poll victory

    President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday congratulated the British Prime Minister, David Cameron and his Conservative Party on their victory in the country’s general election held Thursday.

    A statement issued by his media aide, Dr. Reuben Abati, said the President assured the British PM and his party of Nigeria’s best wishes.

    The Conservatives are expected to form a new government in Britain having secured 330 seats in parliament during Thursday’s election.

    The party’s 330 seats – four more than needed for a Commons majority – was their first of such victory since 1992.

    Meanwhile, Mr. Cameron has promised to lead a government for “one nation” and make “Great Britain greater” as he returned to Downing Street as prime minister.

    Speaking after visiting Buckingham Palace, the PM said the United Kingdom was “on the brink of something special.”

    Cameron’s rivals -Ed Miliband, Nick Clegg and Nigel Farage have all resigned from their parties’ leadership after the poll disappointment.

    President Jonathan, according to the statement, expects that the historic relationship between Nigeria and Britain which recorded a significant boost during the past five years of his Presidency in Nigeria and Mr. Cameron’s first term in office, will continue to blossom in coming years for the benefit of both countries and their citizens.

     

  • Update: Conservatives win UK election

    Update: Conservatives win UK election

    David Cameron has returned to Downing Street with the Tories having defied polls and won the general election, the BBC reports.

    The Conservatives made gains in England and Wales and are forecast by the BBC to secure 331 seats in the Commons, giving them a slender majority.

    Labour leader Ed Miliband said he would stand down on Friday, saying his party must “rebuild” with a new leader.

    Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg has also said he will quit, with his party set to be reduced from 57 to eight Members of Parliament.

    UKIP leader Nigel Farage is also quitting after he failed to win Thanet South, losing by nearly 2,800 votes to the Conservatives.

     

     

  • UK poll: Projections point to Conservatives’ victory

    UK poll: Projections point to Conservatives’ victory

    British Prime Minister, David Cameron, said he hopes to govern for all of the United Kingdom as a BBC forecast gives the Tories 328 seats – enough to form a slender majority in the Commons.

    The PM said it was “too early to say” the final result but he hoped to form a government.

    Labour has been all but wiped out by the SNP in Scotland, while shadow chancellor Ed Balls also lost his seat.

    The Lib Dems are heading for as few as eight Member of Parliaments, with Vince Cable, Ed Davey and Danny Alexander losing their seats.

    The BBC forecast, with well over half of the results now in, is Conservative 329, Labour 235, the Lib Dems eight, the SNP 56, Plaid Cymru three, UKIP one, the Greens one and others 19.

    The Conservatives are expected to have won a 37 per cent share of the national vote, Labour 31 per cent,  UKIP 13 per cent, the Lib Dems 8 per cent, the SNP 5 per cent, the Green Party 4 per cent and Plaid Cymru 1 per cent.

    In other election developments:

    Ed Miliband said it had been a “difficult and disappointing” night for Labour

    Following a recount, Ed Balls lost his Morley and Outwood seat to the Conservatives by just over 400 votes

    Nick Clegg has held on to his Sheffield Hallam seat but said it had been a “cruel and punishing night” for his party and he would be making a statement on his future later

    George Galloway, who was reported to the police for retweeting an exit poll before voting ended, has lost to Labour in Bradford West

    Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy and shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander have lost their seats to the SNP

    UKIP are polling strongly in the North of England and Douglas Carswell has retained his Clacton seat but Mark Reckless has lost his seat and Nigel Farage could fail to win Thanet South

    Former Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy lost his seat to the SNP in Ross, Skye and Lochaber

    Conservative minister Esther McVey has lost Wirral West to Labour

    The Green Party is predicted to get one seat after Caroline Lucas retains the Brighton Pavilion constituency she won in 2010

    Mr. Cameron all but declared victory in a speech after being returned as MP for Witney, in which he set out his intention to press ahead with an in/out referendum on Britain’s membership of the European Union and to complete the Conservatives’ economic plan.

  • UK party leaders grilled on TV

    UK party leaders grilled on TV

    David Cameron and Ed Miliband have faced tough questions from a Question Time audience over their economic plans in the final TV event of the campaign.

    The Prime Minister said he had rejected £8billion in child benefit cuts the Lib Dems claimed the Tories had proposed in government.

    Ed Miliband said Labour did not overspend when in power and that he would not lead a government if it involved a deal with the SNP.

    Nick Clegg was grilled over tuition fees, trust and coalition deals, the BBC reports.

    While insisting they could both win outright, the Conservative and Labour leaders gave the clearest indications to date of the terms of possible post-election deals, with Mr. Cameron saying his pledge of an European Union referendum in 2017 would be a “red line” in any negotiations.

    Three other leaders also faced audience questions:

    In Glasgow, SNP Leader Nicola Sturgeon predicted Mr. Miliband would not be able to get his policies through without working with other parties

    UKIP leader Nigel Farage said on a programme broadcast in England and Wales that an EU referendum defeat would not kill his party

    Plaid Cymru’s Leanne Wood refused to rule out a deal with Labour in a BBC TV special from Cardiff.

    The prime minister was first in the firing line at Leeds Town Hall.

    Mr. Cameron said he did not want to cut child benefit or child tax credits if he won the election, but that it was possible to save more from the welfare budget.

    Asked if this amounted to an “absolute guarantee,” he said child tax credit “would not fall” and child benefit was “one of the most important benefits there is” and did not need to change.

    Brandishing the note left in 2010 by outgoing Labour Treasury Secretary, Liam Byrne, stating there was “no money left”, Mr. Cameron said: “It takes a long time to fix the mess that I was left.”

    “We are half way through a building job,” the PM added.