Labour is projected to have won over 400 seats in the House of Commons
The UK Labour party is predicted to secure a landslide victory in the British general election, according to a preliminary exit poll released as voting closed on Thursday evening.
The poll indicates that Labour will win 410 out of the 650 seats in the House of Commons, a significant increase from their previous 205 seats. The Conservatives, who have been in power since 2015, are expected to secure only 131 seats, a substantial decline from their previous 344.
The Liberal Democrats are predicted to win 61 seats, Nigel Farage’s Reform UK 13, and the Scottish National Party (SNP) ten. The Green Party is slated to win two seats and the Welsh party Plaid Cymru four.
Sky News has described the Tories’ result as “the biggest electoral collapse in British electoral history.” Official results will be announced later in the evening and throughout the night.
The 2024 election exit poll interviewed voters at 133 polling stations selected by the Ipsos agency, and is funded by several British media companies, including Sky and the state broadcaster BBC.
The Labour landslide appears to be driven by dissatisfaction with the Conservatives, who have been in government for the past nine years, rather than strong support for Labour leader Keir Starmer.
“It is more disgust at the Tories than delight at what Labour offers that is driving politics,” Ben Page, the head of the polling agency Ipsos, told the Guardian. “Starmer’s personal ratings are the lowest Ipsos has ever seen for an opposition leader who is so far ahead in the overall voting intention.”
According to Ipsos, fewer voters believe that Labour is capable of governing, has a strong leadership team, or understands the UK’s problems compared to 2014.