The political situation in Britain is extremely important for Ukrainians, as this country is one of the most active in providing military assistance to the Ukrainian army. And soon, parliamentary elections will be held here, which will determine the fate of the political path. Find out whether this will affect relations with Ukraine and who might lead the British government

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Early parliamentary elections in the UK will be held this summer. This statement was made by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, noting that King Charles III had granted his request.

Thus, according to Sunak, elections in Britain will be held on 4 July 2024, although they were expected not earlier than autumn.

This news has primarily pleased the Labour wing of Britain. It is they who are leading in the latest polls. This means that the current Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, may lose his post as head of government.

What are Sunak's chances of remaining in the prime minister's chair?

According to the BBC, the Conservatives, whose leader is Sunak, are currently lagging behind Labour in opinion polls by as much as 20%, and it is expected that despite the country's economic performance, this gap will not be closed.

Observers believe that the prime minister decided to call the election because he fears that the situation may change in a way that is favourable to him. And then voters will be dissatisfied.

According to the newspaper, the Conservative Party has been in power for 14 years and the British people are feeling a bit tired of them.

"Together we can end the mess, turn a new page and start rebuilding Britain and changing our country," said Keir Starmer, the 61-year-old Labour leader.

Starmer has a good chance of becoming the new British Prime Minister. 

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What does this mean for Ukraine?

Starmer and Labour support Ukraine. In February 2023, Britain's main opposition leader met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv. At the time, he said that Ukraine would always have the "unwavering support" of his party. 

However, as Labour is focused on solving Britain's domestic problems, it may be that it will allocate less money to Ukraine, the BBC points out.

Elections in Britain: how does the electoral system work?

After the dissolution of the parliament, the powers of the members of the House of Commons are terminated, and they start campaigning if they plan to be re-elected.

The government also enters the pre-election period, which imposes certain restrictions on the activities of ministries and departments. 

The UK is divided into 650 constituencies. Each constituency elects a member of parliament to represent local residents in the House of Commons.

On election day, registered voters in each constituency vote for their candidate at a polling station. Some voters vote early by post.

Most candidates represent political parties, but some run as independents.

We remind you! Since the beginning of russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine, Britain has regularly expressed solidarity with Ukrainians. Recently, a member of the British royal family visited Ukraine for the first time since the Great War. How the visit went and what was memorable about it, read here.

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