Election polls in the United Kingdom (UK) are indicating that the incumbent, Boris Johnson, is likely to remain on as Prime Minister. Johnson became Prime Minister in July this year, following the resignation of his predecessor, Theresa May.
The election is being called to attempt to break the impasse of Brexit – the withdrawal of the UK from the European Union (EU).
The election is due to be held on 12 December and will be the first British election to be held in December since 1923 and comes only two-and-a-half years since the previous general election.
Pre-election polls released this week show the Conservatives (or Tories) will secure a fairly comfortable majority, paving the way for Brexit. Latest polls show the Tories polling at nearly 40%, with their closest rival, Labour, at only 27%. The Liberal Democrats are in the mid-teens, with Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party at just under 10%.
However, because of the vagaries of the British First-Past-The-Post electoral system, the Tories are likely to emerge with a comfortable majority. It is estimated that the Conservatives will secure about 370 of the 650 seats up for grabs. Labour will win 186 seats, the Scottish National Party 48 seats, and the Liberal Democrats 25 seats. The rest of the seats will be split between regional parties from Wales and Northern Ireland, with one seat likely to go to the Greens.