British Parliament dissolved to prepare for general election

With 650 seats in parliament falling vacant at one minute past midnight, five weeks of campaigning have officially begun in the UK according to the election calendar.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (left) and Labour Party leader Keir Starmer. Photo: AFP

As we know, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak unexpectedly set the election for July 4 in a rain-soaked speech outside 10 Downing Street about a week ago. And according to observers and polls, leader Keir Starmer's Labour Party has a very good chance of regaining power after 14 years in opposition.

Of the 129 MPs who have so far announced they will not stand for re-election, 77 are Conservatives - an unprecedented wave of departures from a UK governing party.

Some other Conservative MPs have been indifferent to the campaign. Steve Baker, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, has stuck to his decision to continue his holiday in Greece, saying he will prepare for his campaign there.

Signs of internal discord were also revealed when a Conservative MP supported a candidate from the right-wing populist UK Reform Party in her constituency, before being suspended by the Conservative Party.

Prime Minister Sunak's election campaign is aimed at a large number of older voters and right-wing supporters, with a pledge to deliver a national welfare state and a £2.4bn tax cut for pensioners.

However, polls show that Labour has an average of 45% of voting intentions, compared to 23% for the Conservatives, suggesting that, under a simple majority voting system, Labour would win by a landslide.

Huy Hoang (according to BP, AFP, CNA)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/quoc-hoi-anh-giai-tan-de-chuan-bi-cho-cuoc-tong-tuyen-cu-post297380.html