LONDON: Britain's Conservative Party all-but conceded election defeat to Keir Starmer's Labour on Wednesday, a day before polling stations even opened, and warned that the opposition party was on course for a record-breaking victory.
Opinion polls show the centre-left Labour Party is set for a big win in Thursday's vote that would end 14 years of Conservative government and hand Starmer the keys to the prime minister's Number 10 Downing Street office on Friday morning.
Both Starmer and Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak kicked off the last day of campaigning before polls open warning voters of dire economic consequences if the other man wins.
"I totally accept that where the polls are at the moment means that tomorrow is likely to see the largest Labour landslide majority, the largest majority that this country has ever seen," Conservative minister Mel Stride said. "What therefore matters now is what kind of opposition do we have, what kind of ability to scrutinise government is there within parliament." Asked about Stride's comments, Sunak told ITV: "I'm fighting hard for every vote".
Polling analysis by Survation sees Labour winning 484 of the 650 seats in parliament, far more than the 418 won by the party's former leader Tony Blair in his 1997 landslide victory, and the most in its history.
Labour's final campaign push focused on their fear that voters could see the result as a foregone conclusion and stay at home during polling on Thursday, or register protest votes with smaller parties.
Starmer said Stride's comments were an attempt to lure wavering voters into not casting their ballots after polling opens at 0600 GMT.
"I say: if you want change, you have to vote for it. I want people to be part of a change. I know there are very close constituencies across the country," he told the BBC.
"I don't take anything for granted, I respect the voters, and I know that we have to earn every vote until 10 o'clock tomorrow night and we will do that."
Starmer's campaign has been built around a one-word promise of 'change', tapping into discontent at the state of Britain's stretched public services and falling living standards - symptoms of a sluggish economy and political instability. — Reuters
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