By Aysu Bicer
LONDON (AA) - Millions of voters across the UK are casting their ballots on Thursday to elect 650 MPs to the House of Commons, the lower house of the British Parliament.
The election is taking place under the first-past-the-post system, where the candidate with the most votes in each of the 650 constituencies wins the seat.
With no runoffs, Thursday is the sole voting day, with polling stations open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time (0600-2100 MT).
Most polls show the opposition Labour Party heavily favored to win, potentially ending a 14-year-long stretch of Conservative Party rule.
Anadolu caught up with London-based voters to hear what they have to say on what could be a pivotal election for the country’s future.
- 'I don't believe in them'
One voter expressed strong disillusionment with the major political parties.
Despite a lifelong habit of voting for Labour while living in England, he can no longer support the party due to a lack of trust in its leader's stance on gender issues, he explained.
"Labour will win, that's for sure, but I've always voted Labour during my time in England. I'm originally from Ireland. I can't support them anymore because I don't trust the party leader,” he said, referring to Keir Starmer.
He continued: "So I can't vote for a party like that, and obviously I hate the Tories (Conservatives), Lib Dems (Liberal Democrats), what they stand for. Labour will get in, but the country will be in trouble in a few months because the Tories have left such a legacy of issues."
"My most important issue, which won't be looked at, is the NHS,” or National Health Service, he explained.
“I really do think this gender ideology thing bugs me, because I don't believe any of it. It's all nonsense. But if I say that, I might lose my job," he added, apparently referring to the practice of gender transition.
- 'We need change'
Another voter shared a sense of hopelessness about the future, saying: "Well, I'm hoping whoever fights for us gets in. We need change. Definitely, we need it. We need our country back. We need more schooling for our kids, hospital appointments, NHS. Something has to be done."
She added: “Probably it doesn't matter who gets in, nothing's gonna change. It's beyond repair, really. I can't see anything changing, but who knows. I just hope I'm wrong."
Having secured victories in the last three general elections – 2015, 2017, and 2019 – the Conservative Party now finds itself trailing significantly. Recent polls show the main opposition Labour Party with a commanding 20-point lead, positioning it for a decisive victory.
There has also been a surge in support for the right-wing Reform UK party, led by anti-immigrant politician Nigel Farage, setting the stage for a crucial battle on Thursday.