AMN
Polling is underway to elect a new Parliament. 46 million eligible voters are expected to cast their ballot to choose between Prime Minister Theresa May and Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn.
An estimated 1.5 million Indian-origin voters, are eligible to vote. The odds seem to be in favour of May holding on to her job as the British Prime Minister who called for snap polls 52 days ago. Polls close at 10 p m UK time (2.30 am IST), with results expected to begin rolling in within an hour or so after voting finishes.
May, 60, called the election three years earlier than scheduled ahead of what are expected to be tough negotiations with the European Union over Britain’s exit from the 28-member-bloc.
The final pre-poll survey done by Comres for the Independent newspaper gives the Tories a 10-point lead over the Labour party. May’s ruling Conservatives are on 44 per cent, Labour at 34 per cent, the Liberal Democrats at 9 per cent, with far- right UKIP at 5 per cent, the Scottish National Party at 4 per cent and the Green Party at 2 per cent.
The UK was recently rocked by two terror attacks. Seven people were killed on Saturday when three men aboard a van ploughed into pedestrians on London Bridge and went on a stabbing spree before being shot by police. The second attack took place on May 22 when 22 people were killed and 116 injured in a suicide bombing at Manchester Arena.