The dissolution of the British Parliament officially took effect today, Thursday, in preparation for general elections on July 4 that are expected to return the Labor Party to power after 14 years of Conservative rule.
After Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's surprise decision last week to call early elections, all 650 seats in Parliament are now vacant, marking the start of the five-week election campaigns to elect new MPs to fill their seats starting on July 9.
Observers saw Sunak's setting of the election on July 4 instead of later this year as an attempt to regain momentum as his party declines in opinion polls.
After 14 years in opposition, Labor now has a chance to regain power under its leader, Keir Starmer, a former human rights lawyer.
About 129 representatives have announced so far that they will not run for re-election, including 77 governors, which represents an unprecedented departure for ruling party parliamentarians who are aware of their diminishing chances of winning.
Opinion polls indicate that the Labor Party obtained, on average, 45% of voting intentions, compared to 23% for the Conservative Party, which indicates that the Labor Party will achieve a major victory.
Sunak is betting on older, right-wing voters, as his campaign saw promises to restore national service and tax breaks worth 2.4 billion pounds for retirees.
Sunak also hopes to succeed in changing the course of things through debates with Keir Starmer, as ITV is scheduled to host the first confrontation next Tuesday.
At the same time, the Labor Party is seeking to capitalize on public discontent with the Conservatives, many of whom have served as prime minister since 2016 amid a series of scandals and economic problems.
The dissolution of the British Parliament paves the way for July 4 elections.
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