General election – live: Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak join millions voting across UK today

Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer have visited their polling stations, as has former PM Boris Johnson

Sunak heads to polling station to cast vote in general election

Millions of people across the country are heading to polling stations to vote in a general election that could deliver a major shake-up of British politics and end 14 years of Conservative government.

The prime minister was up early to cast his ballot alongside his wife Akshata Murty in his North Yorkshire constituency and Keir Starmer, who appeared all smiles, cast his ballot accompanied by his wife Victoria in London.

Former Boris Johnson made an appearance in his constituency, where he urged supporters to vote against “nightmare” wokery and tax rises he claims would come with a future Labour government.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt pleaded with voters to re-elect him as he cast his ballot in Godalming and Ash, where he is fighting to defend his seat against the Lib Dems.

A major poll for The Independent yesterday suggested Rishi Sunak would lead the Conservatives to the worst defeat in history with only 82 seats. 

If the forecast is accurate, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and defence secretary Grant Shapps are among the veteran Conservatives set to be ousted.

Sir Keir could enter the doors of Number 10 triumphant, with an unprecedented 272-seat majority behind him, polls suggest.

Key Points

• Millions of voters to head to polls for UK general election
• What are the dos and don’ts of election day?
• Boris Johnson begs voters to avoid 'nightmare' Labour
• Jeremy Hunt pleads to be re-elected as ‘strong local voice'
• New MPs could face legal challenges over postal vote row
• Emma Raducanu says she didn't know election was today

[4 July 2024 12:59 · Salma Ouaguira]

Polling day: What can you expect?

Each voter is assigned a polling station that is close to their registered address and they have to go to that place to vote. At most 2,250 voters are allocated to each polling station.

They are open between 7am and 10pm on polling day. Those in the queue outside the polling station at 10pm will still be allowed to vote.

It is not permitted to take photos inside the polling station.

Candidates are allowed to enter polling stations, but must not canvass voters. They can appoint polling agents who can enter the stations and observe the voting, although only one polling agent per candidate can enter the polling station at a time.

After the last person has voted the presiding officer seals the ballot box. Candidates, election agents or polling agents may add their own seal to the box as well.

After paperwork has been completed the ballot boxes are then transported to the count centre to be counted.

[4 July 2024 12:55 · Salma Ouaguira]

Horses spotted at polling stations

After dogs and birds were spotted at polling stations, horses have made their own appearance.

[4 July 2024 12:53 · Salma Ouaguira]

The wipeout of the Blue Wall: Tories set to suffer total annihilation

Rishi Sunak is on the verge of leading the Conservative Party to the worst defeat in its 346-year history, according to a new poll for The Independent.

The Techne survey, released on the eve of the general election, put Labour on course for a 272-seat majority, with Sir Keir Starmer winning 461 seats.

After a day of Tory infighting over the potential outcome of the election, with one of Mr Sunak’s closest allies conceding that Labour will win in a record-breaking landslide, four polls predicted how many seats each party would gain.

While there was a range of results, the worst outcome put the Tories on course to drop below 100 seats, while the best-case scenario saw them winning just 126. This would far exceed the defeat faced by John Major in 1997, when the number of Conservative seats fell to 165.

All outcomes would beat the Tories’ worst election result in history, which came in 1906 when the party won just 156 seats and Arthur Balfour, who had quit as prime minister a month earlier, lost in his own constituency.

Our political correspondent Archie Mitchell ad data correspondent Alicja Hagopian have more:

[4 July 2024 12:40 · Salma Ouaguira]

Jeremy Hunt pleads to be re-elected as ‘strong local voice'

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has urged voters to re-elect him as a “strong local voice” as he desperately fights to protect his seat.

The Godalming and Ash candidate could be at risk of being hit by a huge Tory wipeout in his race against the Liberal Democrats

Writing on X, formerly Twitter, Mr Hunt said: “[I’m] your strong local voice for Godalming Ash... After six weeks of campaigning, that big moment has arrived.”

[4 July 2024 12:34 · Salma Ouaguira]

Mordaunt is up for the fight

Penny Mordaunt, who is seen as a potential Tory leadership candidate, cast her vote in Portsmouth.

The leader of the Commons has been campaigning hard for the last six weeks to protect her constituency.

Ms Mordaunt was spotted driving around neighbourhood with a branded campaign car that says “vote Penny to save your Pennies”.

[4 July 2024 12:30 · Salma Ouaguira]

‘Nothing works’: Nigel Farage’s last-ditch plea to encourage Reform voters

[4 July 2024 12:23 · Salma Ouaguira]

Emma Raducanu says she didn't know election was today

Emma Raducanu revealed she did not know the general election was happening on Thursday and admitted she will be focusing her tennis over going to vote, Michael Jones reports.

The 21-year-old Brit impressed on Centre Court on Wednesday with a wonderful display to defeat Belgium’s Elise Mertens 6-1 6-2 in straight sets and progress into the third round at Wimbledon where she will next face No.9 seed Maria Sakkari.

Speaking after her win, Raducanu was asked if she would vote before heading to practise on Thursday to which she replied: “No. I think I’ll have a lie-in, then I’ll come to practise.

“I didn’t even know it was tomorrow, to be honest! Thanks for letting me know.”

Raducanu became the latest British player to prioritise their tennis over the general election as both Katie Boulter and Harriet Dart acknowledged that they may not get a chance to vote ahead of their second round clash on Thursday.

(Zac Goodwin/PA Wire)

[4 July 2024 12:19 · Salma Ouaguira]

Voters concerned about environment and climate change

While experts remind us of the existential threat posed by climate change, polls suggest the issue is only an important priority for about one in five voters, Jonathan Bunn reports.

However, that is still a significant number of voters and the environment is an issue that concerns people across the political spectrum.

Despite progress in the UK on cutting emissions, the Conservatives will likely have angered many of a green persuasion by introducing new oil and gas licences.

Last year the watchdog the Climate Change Committee described efforts to scale up climate action as “worryingly slow”, with Government decisions undermining the UK’s leadership on the issue.

Labour has also faced challenges on the environment.

The decision to slash its green prosperity plan from £28 billion a year to £15 billion was heavily criticised by environmental groups and unions.

Members of the public leave after casting their vote in the 2024 General Election at St James' Church, Goldenacre, in Edinburgh (Jane Barlow/PA Wire)

[4 July 2024 12:10 · Salma Ouaguira]

Watch: Government expert explains how to vote even if you have lost your ID

[4 July 2024 12:00 · Salma Ouaguira]

Tory Steve Baker could watch his seat fall

Steve Baker was appointed minister of state at the Northern Ireland Office on 7 September 2022. He was elected as Conservative MP for Wycombe in 2010, Alexander Butler reports.

He was previously parliamentary under secretary of state at the Department for Exiting the European Union from June 2017 to 9 July 2018.

Under the new poll, Mr Baker is set to lose his seat, which he was campaigning for while on holiday on Greece, to Labour.