The Guardian

General election live: party leaders join millions across the UK casting their votes

By Martin Belam (now) and Helen Sullivan (earlier),

20 days ago

12.22pm BST

An interesting polling day ding dong going on below the line at The Times this morning. There is disgruntlement among readers, who are less than happy that comments on its election leader – which grumpily sat on the fence and failed to endorse any party – have been switched off.

The Murdoch-owned Times stopped short of endorsing Labour when it finally published its final editorial before the election at 8.30pm last night – some hour’s after Starmer won the support of its stablemate the Sun – instead providing its readers with the resounding message of “Don’t know, really”.

After attesting that the Tories were dealt a bad hand, it adds that there were “many unforced errors” and acknowledges that “after 14 years in power there is much baggage.” It describes Starmer as “a sensible man, flexible and pragmatic, a patriot committed to his country’s defence” but says there are “warning signs” about a Labour government including “a disdain for aspiration” shown in its decision to close a loophole that exempts private schools from VAT and “Labour’s attitude to Trans rights”.

After some umming and ahhing it decides: “This newspaper wants the next government to succeed, and it will not be ungenerous in praise if that is the case. But Labour has yet to earn the trust of the British people. It has been sparing with the truth about what it will do in office and cannot expect an endorsement.”

Some of its readers were not best pleased. Initial comments under the leader included criticism of its editor Tony Gallagher , former editor of the Daily Telegraph and the Sun (with a little stint as deputy editor of the Mail in between). “Gallgher has penned a very long resignation letter,” wrote one reader. “Once the election is over would The Times consider getting a proper Editor back in?,” asked another.

Then, the comments were inexplicably switched off. Wily readers, determined to have their say, instead took to the comments section of the paper’s second leader, which carried the headline “ We the People ”, and argued that politicians needed to reconnect with the people they are paid to represent.

“And we, the readers of the Times, petition the editor to reconnect with the readership of this paper and its once vigorous independent-minded ethos,” wrote one reader. “So the Thunderer deems it necessary to switch off comments on its non-endorsement leader, after a stream of adverse comments. A leader, in which it fears for the freedom of the media. Hypocrites!,” added another.

Reader John Ness also reflected on the Times’ nickname of the Thunderer, established – according to the paper – in 1830.

“The irony is painful,” he wrote. “The Times election leader dithers and mumbles and then bravely decides to sit on the fence and then acts decisively to ban comments so that readers cannot point it out. It is election day but it is the date that the Thunderer became the Whimperer.”

12.18pm BST

The Justice4Grenfell organisation has staged a protest today near to a polling station in the vicinity of Grenfell Tower, the scene of the fire which killed 72 people just days after the 2017 general election.

Since then there has been a further general election, and both Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak have followed Theresa May as prime minister, but seven years later over 150,000 homes still have flammable cladding, Grenfell inquiry recommendations remain unimplemented, and no prosecutions have been made.

Organisers have placed 72 “Caution, Slippery Politicians” signs within view of the tower.

In a statement, the organisation said the protest was “to remind everyone to scrutinise politicians’ pledges, particular those regarding housing safety or the treatment of renters and leaseholders, and urge them to ensure they chose a candidate who will serve the public interest.”

12.11pm BST

In what must be one of the most unusual – and smallest – polling stations in the country, in the remote village of Winwick in Northamptonshire people will be casting their vote in the hallway of someone’s house.

But even though the ballot box is literally under her own staircase, 80-year-old June Thomas said she always casts her ballot by postal vote. She has already walked the 300 yards to the village post box and send her vote in.

She told the BBC : “I don’t think I’ve ever voted in my house – even though it’s the polling station. I can see why people might laugh.”

Her home, the Old School House which was the village school until 1947, has been the polling station for the area since 1990, and is one of only a few remaining private residences still used as polling stations across the country.

Thomas said she started voting by post as she previously worked as a polling station clerk elsewhere and didn’t have time to cast her vote in person – and has remained doing so ever since.

“I know it sounds funny but I’ve just kept using my postal vote and voting by post,” she said.

12.01pm BST

Green party co-leader Carla Denyer votes in Bristol

Green party of England and Wales co-leader Carla Denyer took a moment to sit down after casting her vote in Bristol.

PA Media reports she greeted photographers and reporters outside the church.

Denyer is standing in Bristol Central, which is one of four seats where the party hopes to win. In a message on social media Denyer said:

No need to guess who I voted for! The energy in Bristol today is electric! On the short walk to the polling station, I met 8 Green volunteers and heard “well done” and “I voted for you” from voters Thank you, everyone, and remember to bring ID to vote!

On its social media channels the Green party has claimed the vote of Leap the dog – although the Guardian hasn’t been able to verify whether they are on the electoral roll.

They have also been able to claim the support of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, who has been posing with a large vegetable that is occasionally wearing his glasses.

You don’t get this sort of content on the politics live blog every day, do you?

11.49am BST

Party leaders join millions across the UK casting their votes

People across the UK have begun casting votes in a general election expected to sweep Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives out of power and usher in Labour’s Keir Starmer as prime minister.

Sunak’s messaging on the day of polling remained about encouraging Tory voters out to “stop the Labour supermajority” rather than positioning himself to continue in Downing Street.

Starmer’s Labour were pushing people to go out and vote for change. Opinion polls suggest Labour is on course to secure a big majority, but last night Starmer told supporters to “imagine a Britain moving forward together with a Labour government. That’s what we are fighting for, let’s continue that fight. If you want change, you have to vote for it.”

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey , Scotland’s first minister John Swinney , and Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth have all also voted. Davey, whose campaign has been marked by a series of extreme stunts, said “It’s a beautiful day. I hope lots of people come out to vote.”

An exit poll, published shortly after polls close at 10pm on Thursday, will provide the first indication of how the election has gone on a national level. These take place at polling stations across the country, with tens of thousands of people asked to privately fill in a replica ballot as they leave, to get an indication of how they voted.

If Starmer were to become prime minister, it would be the first time the UK’s leader has changed as a result of a general election since 2010, when David Cameron succeeded Gordon Brown. Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Sunak himself all became prime minister after internal Conservative party mechanism rather than through a general election.

You can tell us what is happening where you are on polling day – details of how to contact the team can be found here.

11.32am BST

Here is a video clip featuring Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer casting their votes.

11.12am BST

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey votes in Surbiton

Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat leader, has voted in Surbiton.

PA Media reports he said “good morning everybody” to the assembled media and waved to the cameras as he arrived at Surbiton Hill Methodist Church. A voter leaving the polling station wished Davey good luck.

Davey, who has certainly made a name for himself with his total dedication to eye-catching stunts this campaign, said “It’s a beautiful day. I hope lots of people come out to vote.”

Our picture desk put together this gallery of the best of Davey’s antics over the last six weeks. The Liberal Democrats are hoping that gains for them, especially in the south-west of England, combined with a Labour squeeze on SNP seats in Scotland, might return the party to being the third-biggest in the House of Commons.

11.07am BST

I wouldn’t exactly say that people had been clamouring for it, but there have been a few questions in the comments on here and on the Thursday quiz recently about whether you would get to see my dog Willow visiting a polling station today.

There are two issues. One, I’m clearly doing the live blog, which precludes me being out and about at the moment, and two, thanks to missing the AV referendum in 2011 when I was suddenly called away for work, I’ve had a postal vote for more than a decade.

However, do not despair. The moment has been prepared for. Willow, the official dog of the Guardian Thursday quiz , “helped” me post my vote a couple of weeks ago, and here she is doing it.

This also gives me an opportunity to shamelessly plug today’s Thursday quiz, which has just gone live.

10.54am BST

Labour leader Keir Starmer has posted a picture of him with his wife Victoria on their way to vote with the message “Today, Britain’s future is on the ballot”

Labour have also posted a video urging people to go out and vote, saying “nothing is decided yet”. Using archive footage it mocks up the BBC’s David Dimbleby announcing at 10pm tonight that Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives are the largest party according to the exit poll, and then cuts to a clip of Sunak celebrating during Euro 2024.

10.42am BST

Just to confirm that as with Rishi Sunak , when Keir Starmer voted he breifly greeted people but did not speak to any of the gathered media.

10.36am BST

Labour’s leader in Scotland, Anas Sarwar , has voted at Pollokshields Burgh Halls in Glasgow. He was accompanied by his wife Furheen, and son Aliyan. I think it is fair to say that the photo opportunity may have not gone entirely to plan. The family were photobombed by someone holding up a sign which read “Starmer is a snake”.

10.29am BST

The SNP have posted an election day message video, with first minister John Swinney reiterating the party’s key messages at this election, calling for an end to the two-child benefit cap, and urging supporters to vote SNP to support “ending Westminster austerity”, “eradicating child poverty” and “rejoining the European Union as an independent country, because we are a country that proudly looks out.”

10.25am BST

My colleague Robyn Vinter has been looking into just how some constituencies return their results so quickly on election night:

In most constituencies, counting the tens of thousands of votes cast during an election takes somewhere between five and eight hours, which means voters usually have to stay up very late or get up very early to discover the outcome.

Sunderland has held bragging rights for decades, being the quickest to declare at every general election between 1992 and 2015, and setting that record time of 10.42pm for Sunderland South in 2001.

The feat was described as a “military operation”, with the count masterminded by the returning officer Bill Crawford, who left Sunderland in 2015. Under his stewardship, ballot counters were sourced from local banks because of their speed with small bits of paper. And he would recruit sixth-formers from nearby schools, training them on how best to run with ballot boxes in their hands.

10.22am BST

If you did not get a chance to do it yesterday, then can I recommend you spend a couple of minutes between now and the exit poll at 10pm having a crack at the Guardian’s supermassive election quiz …

10.04am BST

Readers have been getting in touch as they head to the polls this morning.

In Sheffield Central, NHS GP Tom McAnea , 54, said he is “excited” to be voting. “The sun is shining brightly this morning which should be an encouragement for voters to turn out. This is my ninth general election where I can vote, the first being in 1992. I still find the whole process both a privilege and a huge responsibility.”

Tom was accompanied by his 17-year-old daughter, Freya , who hopes to study politics at university next year. “She’s very keyed up today. She’s frustrated she can’t vote but is enthused by the whole process. We’ll be tuning in this evening at 10pm for the exit poll. I voted not long after seven. It wasn’t busy, but I could see that there was already a list of people who had been in and voted. I think they’re expecting a good turnout today.”

Hayley voted earlier this morning in Ashton-under-Lyne with her dog Nova .

She said there she didn’t have any problem voting and there was no queue around 8am. Hayley added it was Nova’s first election (she is 18 months old) though she may not have been as excited as some.

“She was shown the leaflets from all the candidates but she was more interested in the one from the local pizza place.”

Andrew Dunning , 37, from Oxford, voted at 7.30 with his son, aged three. “My son had us up at 4.30 am asking whether ‘goat’ rhymes with ‘poll’. There was nobody at the polling station and I was the tenth person to vote. We put a cross on the ballot papers together.”

Having to show ID has made the process feel “less friendly” this year, he adds. “The very nice fellow who was running the polling station went to ask the manager if they should accept my passport because I’ve grown my hair and beard out since the photo was taken nine years ago. Then he asked my son, ‘Is this daddy?’ My son said yes. ‘That’s fine, then.’”

You can tell us what is happening where you are on polling day – details of how to contact the team can be found here.

9.56am BST

Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth votes in Ynys Môn

Plaid Cymru’s leader Rhun ap Iorwerth has posted a video clip of himself after he cast his vote in Ynys Môn.

He said:

I’ve just voted for Llinos Medi and Plaid Cymru here on Ynys Môn. For fairness. For ambition. For Wales. For fair funding for Wales. For the NHS. For your family. For your community. Thank you to you for all your support.

It is one of the constituencies Plaid Cymru have been targeting in this election. Last time out Ynys Môn was won by Conservative Virginia Crosbie as a gain from Labour, but both Labour and Plaid Cymru were only narrowly behind with a couple of thousand votes in it.

9.47am BST

Labour leader Keir Starmer votes in London

Keir Starmer has arrived to vote in London with his wife, Victoria. Polling ahead of the election suggests he is the person most likely to be the next prime minister of the UK, five years after his Labour party suffered a disastrous defeat in the December 2019 general election which saw Boris Johnson returned as UK prime minister. The country has changed leader twice since without holding a general election.

9.39am BST

Rishi Sunak and John Swinney have already voted, as has now, according to PA Media, Ulster Unionist Party leader Doug Beattie . He voted at Seagoe Primary School in Portadown. Beattie told reporters “It is an important day, it is a day for the people to cast their votes. We have run a good campaign.”

The former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has also voted, posting a picture of himself outside a polling station with the message “Just voted for the independent candidate in Islington North. I heard he’s alright.”

Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner has urged people on social media to “be part of it” by voting for Labour today.

Sunak ’s message seems to be one of accepting inevitable defeat, telling people to “Head to your polling station. Bring ID. Vote Conservative. Stop the Labour supermajority ^* ”

Jane Dodds , leader of the Liberal Democrats in Wales, has taken her dog Wanda down to vote.

And Pickles the dachshund has been down to the polling station in Ticknall Village hall in the South Derbyshire, and appears to be showing there is a great deal more trust placed in his recall abilities than I would dare with my very mischievous miniature dachshund Willow.

^* There is no such thing as a “supermajority” in British politics. A government either enjoys a majority in the House of Commons, or it does not.

9.27am BST

Aletha Adu , our political correspondent, has this explainer on what different results would mean for Labour, looking three scenarios: a moderate majority of 0-80 seats, a Blair-style landslide of 80-179 seats, and a haul of more than 179 seats.

9.18am BST

If you can’t get enough politics coverage – and the fact you are reading an election day live blog more than twelve hours before we get the exit poll suggests you might be that kind of person – then tomorrow evening my colleague Hugh Muir will chair a panel of Guardian columnists and writers including John Crace , Gaby Hinsliff , Jonathan Freedland , and Zoe Williams at an event in London called Guardian Newsroom: Election results special .

It is on from 7.30pm-9pm (BST) tomorrow, and you can join it in person or on a livestream. There are more details here .

9.10am BST

First minister John Swinney votes in Blairgowrie

First minister of Scotland, John Swinney , has arrived to vote alongside SNP candidate Dave Doogan at the polling place in Blairgowrie , near Perth.

PA Media report that addressing supporters at a pre-election rally in Leith on Wednesday evening, John Swinney said the Conservatives were going to be “heavily defeated” by the Labour party in England, but that there were “narrow margins” between Labour and the SNP in Scotland.

On social media the SNP has urged people to message friends and family reminded them to vote, saying “Don’t wake up on Friday thinking that you could have done more in the final days of the campaign. You can help to boost turnout at the election by messaging everyone you know to remind them to vote SNP today.”

The SNP candidate for Glasgow West, Carol Monaghan , has posted a pic of Wee Jean wearing an SNP rosette at a polling place in the newly formed constituency of Glasgow West. Monaghan was MP for Glasgow North West from 2015 to 2024.

Updated at 10.13am BST

8.56am BST

Robbie Butler is standing for the Ulster Unionist Party in Lagan Valley , where he came third in 2019. He has just posted to say thathe hasn’t missed an election since he was 18 and has just cast his vote today, but what caught my eye was the similarity in his post to the internet meme of Timothy Dalton as Simon Skinner in Hot Fuzz.

[Please note it is not Timothy Dalton’s birthday today, that is just an old social media post]

8.44am BST

My colleague John Crace has clearly been up and early to vote, and has posted a picture of Herbert Hound to confirm it. If you missed it, his sketch of the last day of the campaign – Rishi sinks into TV sofa as Boris gloats and Mel goes rogue – can be found here , and he also teamed up with Marina Hyde alongside Helen Pidd to discuss the election on yesterday’s Today in Focus podcast . Crace that is. Herbert Hound is not on the podcast.

8.40am BST

Here are some images from around the country as people go to vote this morning. Polling stations will be open until 10pm, and for the first time voters in England, Scotland and Wales will need to produce photo ID to vote in person during a general election. Northern Ireland introduced voter ID in 2002.

Election day is always a good day for publicity stunts getting into the media, as this Peta activist dressed as a bear outside a polling station demonstrates …

Here is a little glimpse behind the scenes, with the press pack of photographers marking time before Rishi Sunak arrived to vote in his constituency by taking lots of pictures of somebody putting up a sign.

Updated at 9.01am BST

8.31am BST

Labour leader Keir Starmer is expected to cast his vote at about 9.30am, with Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey and Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer both expected to vote – in different places obviously – at about 10.30am.

If you want to start planning your evening, then here is our hour-by-hour guide to when we can expect to see results declared.

8.25am BST

I pity people who are not invested in #DogsAtPollingStations on social media because even the official Conservative party account is joining in.

8.10am BST

Former Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn has made an appeal for people to come out and help his campaign in North Islington as an independent. In it he says:

We have built this campaign from nothing. We don’t have party machinery. We don’t have big donors. We have something more powerful: people.

Another independent candidate in London who has previously stood for Labour, Fazia Shaheen , has also posted, saying “Let’s show the world what we’ve got! Our community and people-powered campaign could win today. They know it and they are scared. The Tories are finally out, let’s start a new politics.”

8.07am BST

List of 2024 party election manifestos

Polling seems to indicate that there are a lot of potentially undecided voters out there still. If you are undecided, maybe a quick peruse of the manifestos may be in order. Here is a handy list of manifestos for all the parties who had MPs at the end of the last parliament, plus a few select others …

8.00am BST

Obviously you will have this live blog open all through the night, but here is our guide to what you could be watching out of the corner of your eye while reading Andrew Sparrow later on …

7.55am BST

Rishi Sunak votes in his Yorkshire constituency

The prime minister has voted. PA Media reports:

Rishi Sunak made the short journey from his grade II-listed manor house to vote at Kirby Sigston Village Hall in his Richmond and Northallerton constituency. Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty arrived in a Range Rover and walked hand-in-hand into the village hall. Sunak greeted the photographers outside the polling station. He left without commenting and was driven away.

Updated at 8.58am BST

7.47am BST

Various senior political figures have been posting messages to encourage people to vote for them on social media.

Vaughan Gething has said in his clip that “You might not be particularly shocked by this, but I think that you should vote for the Labour party.”

The first minister of Wales accused the Conservative government in Westminster of having made a deliberate choice to starve Wales of investment, and said “I can tell you that the number one thing the Wales needs right now is a UK Labour government to work in partnership with.”

Home secretary James Cleverly has posted a picture of him at Braintree railway station, with the message “Happy polling day to all who celebrate this festival of democracy.”

In Northern Ireland, first minister Michelle O’Neill has asked the country to “return the strongest Sinn Féin team”. In a message for the wider UK electorate she said:

I also urge people to support progressive candidates in constituencies where Sinn Féin is not standing, ensuring the maximum number of progressive MPs are elected. Let’s work together.

Nigel Farage , the recently installed leader of Reform UK, has reposted his party’s party political broadcast featuring him in the Kent countryside with his dog, urging people to “Vote with your heart”.

My colleague Libby Brooks is not up for election, but she has urged people to go out and vote with the enthusiasm of a Labrador as displayed by her dog with its friends.

7.34am BST

My colleague Nimo Omer has been at the helm of our Thursday morning briefing email today, and has this to say about Rishi Sunak’s election campaign:

Despite trying to hammer home their central message (LABOUR WILL TAX YOU!), the moments everyone has remembered are actually Rishi Sunak’s self-inflicted gaffes.

A defining moment of the campaign that dogged the prime minister for weeks – a lifetime in a six-week campaign – was his decision to leave the D-day commemorations early to get back to London for an ITV interview. “In focus groups, when people were asked what they noticed, they remembered the rain announcement and D-day,” the Guardian’s senior political correspondent, Peter Walker says. There was no explaining it away and even though the prime minister apologised, “it looked pretty bad”. Another political headache for the beleaguered prime minister was the betting scandal, initially revealed by the Guardian, which followed Sunak everywhere he went.

A material roadblock to an effective on-the-ground campaign has been that much infrastructure is not there any more. A local party official effectively told Peter a few weeks ago that there was no one to campaign in their marginal seat. “They have lost many, many local councillors over the last few elections that would have been door-knocking for them,” he says. “There’s hardly anyone left”.

The Conservative campaign has also been surprisingly defensive, particularly in the last few weeks. Sunak has visited what would normally be considered ultra-safe seats.

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7.31am BST

Rishi Sunak hasn’t posted to social media since polls opened, but he did post a series of messages in an hourly countdown to “stop the Labour supermajority”, suggesting among other things that Labour intend to raise taxes, scrap exams, demolish the green belt and “tax you just for driving”.

There is no such thing as a “supermajority”. A government in the UK either has a majority or it does not.

7.22am BST

We’ve already got our first sausage dog at a polling station, so the day is going swimmingly. This is Maggie voting in Wellingborough and Rushden , which was won by Gen Kitchen for Labour in February, when she overturned an 18,000 Tory majority .

7.14am BST

This is the video that Labour leader Keir Starmer has put out on social media as polls open in the UK general election. With a significant lead in polling before the day, Starmer is widely expected to become the next UK prime minister.

7.09am BST

Larry Elliott is the Guardian’s economics editor

Labour’s post-election honeymoon will be short-lived unless it takes immediate action to deliver on workers’ rights and brings a swift end to 14 years of public sector pay restraint, the president of the TUC has said.

Matt Wrack , also the general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), said Sir Keir Starmer should convene a summit with unions within days to plan how a new government would deliver for workers if Labour is victorious in Thursday’s election.

“Unions should be invited in quickly to set out their priorities,” Wrack said in an interview with the Guardian as Starmer prepares for an expected landslide victory.

Wrack said there were issues that required urgent action, including delivering on Labour’s New Deal for workers , resolving long-running public sector strikes and boosting wages.

7.07am BST

Good morning everybody, Martin Belam here. This is the deal with comments. They are open on the blog today. The Representation of the People Act outlaws the reporting of how people voted, so you can let everyone know you cast a vote, but please don’t say how you voted . I know I can trust you to behave yourselves. I will chip in where I think I can add any value and/or joy.

7.06am BST

Get in touch – tell us what’s happening where you are on polling day

As the UK goes to the polls on Thursday, our community team want to hear from voters about what’s happening where they are.

If you voted, how was your experience? Were there queues or was it quiet? Did you go alone or with others? Did you have any issues voting, such as problems with a proxy vote, or voter registration or ID? If so, tell us about it. Were you able to vote in the end?

You can find out how to get in touch with the team here , and some of your contributions may end up on the live blog if you give permission.

7.04am BST

Election boundary changes – find out what constituency you are in for this election

As well as the introduction of new photo ID requirements in England, Scotland and Wales, this election is also different from 2019 because a number of boundary changes have been implemented.

With only 77 constituencies remaining unchanged, the boundary review changes which seat many people will be voting in. You can check which is your constituency with our interactive tool here .

7.03am BST

What photo ID do I need to vote in the 2024 UK general election?

Don’t get caught out like Boris Johnson did in May’s local elections . For the first time in a UK general election people in England, Scotland and Wales will need to produce photo ID at polling stations on Thursday to be able to vote in person. Northern Ireland introduced voter ID in 2002. Here is what you need to know.

The main things to use are either a passport or a driving licence. Passports can be from the UK, EU or Commonwealth, driving licences from the UK and EU. Documents from Norway, Iceland are Liechtenstein are also accepted, as are driving licences from the Isle of Man or any of the Channel Islands.

There are also a mind-boggling 18 other types of document that can be used, including concessionary travel pass for older and disabled people. Student ID is not accepted.

The ID can have expired, as long as you still look like the photo. You can find more details here .

7.00am BST

Polling stations open in UK as country poised to eject Tories after 14 years of government

Voting has begun across the UK for a general election which polling suggests could bring an end to 14 years of the Conservative party in government, and see Labour opposition leader Keir Starmer installed in Downing Street as the new prime minister.

Polling stations will be open until 10pm, and for the first time in England, Scotland and Wales general election voters will be required to provide photo identification before voting in person . Northern Ireland introduced voter ID in 2002.

Prime minister Rishi Sunak called the election six weeks ago in a rain-soaked speech outside No 10 where he had to battle against the sounds of 1997 New Labour anthem Things Can Only Get Better by D:Ream being blasted out by a protester, and his campaign has been uphill ever since. The Conservatives have barely made a dent into Labour’s polling lead, which has consistently shown Starmer’s party to be about 20 points ahead, much higher than the swing needed to reverse the party’s dismal 2019 general election result.

The Conservative campaign has been bedevilled with scandal, as people close to the PM and Tory candidates were accused of betting on the timing of the election, leading to a police investigation. The last few days of the campaign have seen the Tories seize desperately on the Labour leader saying he intends to carve out some time with his family each week to claim he would “clock off” from being PM at 6pm, and claim that people should vote Conservative to avoid Labour winning a “supermajority” – a meaningless concept that has no formal existence in the Westminster system. Sunak has repeatedly used a discredited line that Labour policies will add more than £2,000 to tax bills.

Labour have faced their own problems, with selection rows over Diane Abbott and Faiza Shaheen overshadowing the early days of the campaign, and accusations that the party is putting forward an uninspiring programme that has undone much of the enthusiasm younger voters had developed for Labour during the years that Jeremy Corbyn was leader. Corbyn is standing as an independent candidate for his old seat in North Islington. Disquiet over the party’s approach to Israel’s conflict in Gaza is also expected to cost the party votes, especially in urban areas and areas with significant Muslim populations. Comments Starmer made in recent days about Bangladeshi immigrants have landed badly with that community.

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey has tried to use a stunt-laden campaign to attract coverage of his party’s policies as it attempts to overtake the SNP and once again become the third largest party in the House of Commons.

For their part, the SNP with Westminster leader Stephen Flynn and recently installed first minister of Scotland John Swinney have campaigned on a platform insisting that however people feel about the government in Holyrood, this election is a chance to send a strong Scottish voice to London. Labour are looking to reclaim seats in Scotland’s central belt that had for many, many years been traditional Labour heartlands. Polls have Labour and SNP closer than they have been for years in Scotland.

In Wales, Labour’s campaign has been hindered by controversy swirling around donations to first minister Vaughan Gething ’s leadership campaign, which Plaid Cymru will hope they can exploit. In Northern Ireland, DUP interim leader Gavin Robinson is defending a narrow majority in Belfast East. George Galloway is attempting to hold the Rochdale seat he won in a February byelection for the Workers Party of Britain. The Green Party of England and Wales have made four seats in England their main target.

The early surprise of the campaign was Nigel Farage ’s decision to seize leadership of the Reform UK party from Richard Tice . MRP polling models have suggested the party might win as many as 18 seats, or indeed none at all. Predictions they would surge in polling have during the campaign have broadly not been met, but Farage has said his intention is to build a movement to oppose Labour that will put him in a position to become prime minister in 2029.

It is Martin Belam with you on the blog for the next few hours – do drop me a line at martin.belam@theguardian.com if you like, especially if you spot errors, mistakes, omissions, have questions, or just want to send me a picture of your dog enjoying the election.

6.45am BST

Rules at the polling station

With 15 minutes to go until polling stations open, a reminder that they close at 10pm today, Thursday 4 July.

If you are in the queue outside your polling station at 10pm you will still be allowed to vote, but if you arrive after 10pm you will not be able to cast a ballot.

If you are in the UK, you will have been sent a polling card which will tell you which polling station to go to. If you have not got that card for whatever reason, you can enter your address into wheredoivote.co.uk .

Some other rules:

If you make a mistake on your ballot paper, you can ask a member of staff for a replacement (as long as you’ve not put your voting paper in the ballot box)
You will be provided with a pencil, but may use your own if you prefer to
You are not allowed to take photographs inside the polling station
Some polling stations allow dogs inside, others don’t

Updated at 6.45am BST

6.37am BST

From the moment six weeks ago that Rishi Sunak announced the election in pouring rain outside 10 Downing Street, his campaign has faced a series of setbacks, from the backlash triggered by his early return from a D-day commemoration , to a betting scandal in which a Conservative politician was discovered to have bet on the date of the election. The Guardian’s political media editor, Jim Waterson , explains how the party’s campaign fell apart and whether it stood a chance to begin with:

6.33am BST

What is the King's role in the election?

It is the King’s duty as head of state to appoint a prime minister, and he is travelling from Scotland to Windsor Castle, ready to be on stand-by after being in Edinburgh for Holyrood Week.

The role is one of the few remaining personal prerogatives of the sovereign, because Charles does not act on advice nor need to consult anyone before doing so.

But the overriding requirement is to appoint someone who can command the confidence of the House of Commons – usually the leader of the party with an overall majority of seats in the Commons – to form a government.

If Keir Starmer leads the Labour Party to victory, Charles could be set for the third prime minister of his less than two-year reign: his first was Liz Truss, and the King welcomed Rishi Sunak as his second PM just six weeks after acceding to the throne.

Depending on the election outcome, Charles is set to hold a private audience with the leader of the winning party at Buckingham Palace in London on Friday. They will be invited by the King to form a government and become prime minister.

6.28am BST

Best photos from the last day of campaigning

On the last day of campaigning, the UK’s most tattooed woman met the UK’s richest-ever prime minister:

6.17am BST

Did that really happen? 14 years of chaotic Tory government

Come with me to another country, far, far away, where things are a little bit different. In this fantastical land, young people can live and work in any country in Europe. You can swim in a river without catching Weil’s disease, or see your doctor .

Things aren’t perfect in this country, but 40,000 people rely on food banks instead of 3.1 million . People live half a year longer . Five-year-olds are taller .

Reader, you’ll never guess what. That country is Britain! Or it was until 2010, when a parade of five Conservative prime ministers, seven chancellors and eight home secretaries ( two of whom were Suella Braverman) climbed behind the wheel of Britain’s temperamental but mostly reliable family hatchback, and drove it into a hedge.

What the hell just happened? If you’re feeling nostalgic, or just possibly a little angry, here is a recap of the lurches, plunges and nausea of 14 years on the Tory rollercoaster.

6.12am BST

When will we know the results?

Results come in throughout the night after polls close at 10pm, with the very earliest expected by about 1am. Houghton and Sunderland South is historically one of the quickest, if not often the first, constituencies to declare. The national record is 10.43pm for the declaration for its predecessor seat, Sunderland South, set in 2001.

Houghton and Sunderland South competes every year – with youths running from polling to counting stations as fast as they can with boxes holding ballots – with Newcastle.

All seats seats should be declared by 7am, with perhaps a few exceptions.

6.05am BST

What is 'first past the post'?

The UK uses a voting system called “first past the post” (a horse racing term), which means that voters vote for a candidate in their constituency, rather than a party, and the candidate with the most votes wins and becomes a member of parliament.

The UK – England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales – is divided into 650 constituencies. The party with the most MPs then has the chance to form government, either because it wins the majority of seats in the parliament, or makes a deal with one or more other parties to do so. If the party with the most seats forms government, its leader becomes the prime minister.

This means that millions of votes for a party won’t necessarily translate to seats. For example, in 2015 more than 3.8 million people voted for Nigel Farage’s Ukip party, but this resulted in only one seat in parliament. If the UK had a proportional system like many other countries, the party would have won 82 seats.

A candidate who is least liked in a constituency can still win if the opposition is divided.

This election, a higher number of voters than usual may try to get past this system by voting tactically – casting their ballot not for their preferred candidate, but rather for the candidate most likely to unseat their least preferred candidate.

5.59am BST

How do general elections work in the UK?

The UK – that is England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland – is divided into 650 constituencies, a geographical electoral division or district.

Voters cast a ballot for the person they want to represent their constituency in the UK Houses of Parliament. Candidates run as members of political parties with the key parties including: the Labour party, the Conservative party, Liberal Democrats, Scottish National party, Green party, Reform UK, Sinn Féin and the Democratic Unionist party. Candidates can also run as independents.

The candidate with the most votes in that constituency is elected as a member of parliament (MP).

The party with the most MPs then forms a government if it has a majority (at least 326 seats).

5.57am BST

Does bad weather tend to impact turnout?

Wind and rain are no match for a roughly three in five eligible Britons who turn out to vote every five years. If anything, it makes them more determined.

Voter turnout is not generally affected by weather conditions, records suggest.

According to the Parliament website, despite the last general election in 2019 being the wettest since records began in 1931, turnout was actually higher (67.3%) than in 2001 (59.4%) and 2005 (61.4%) when polling day fell in June and May respectively.

The most recent figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the UK’s public body for official data, show there are about 49 million people registered to vote in the UK.

5.55am BST

Today's weather

Could those be winds of… change?

Winds of up to 40mph are set to blow accross the UK today, according to the Met Office.

Showers are also expected across west and northwest Scotland, northwest England and across Northern Ireland on Thursday, according to the forecaster.

Southeast England will experience the brightest, warmest weather with areas around London expected to reach temperatures of up to 22C.

Chillier weather is predicted further north with most of the day’s rainfall expected in northwest Scotland, the forecaster said.

Liam Eslick, meteorologist at the Met Office, told PA:

It’s going to be quite a windy day across much of the UK.

The strongest winds are going to be towards Northern Ireland, the western parts of Scotland and northern England - so we could see winds getting up to around 35, maybe even possibly 40mph, especially around the coasts of Scotland.

It’s going to be a windy day for most people but it is going to be bright for central and southern England as well as Wales.”

Updated at 5.55am BST

5.49am BST

Today's front pages

Campaigning has ended and voters are set to decide who will lead the UK for the next five years, with the country’s newspapers covering the parties final pitches – while making a few suggestions of their own.

“ Starmer hails ‘new age of hope’ as Britain votes in historic election ”, reads the Guardian’s front page. The paper’s lead story notes that Rishi Sunak’s closest allies have already appeared “to concede defeat”, while the final opinion polls show Labour is on track for an unprecedented victory.

“On the last day of a fractious six-week campaign, the Guardian was told Sunak had confided to members of his inner circle that he was fearful of losing his own seat”, the paper reports.

With voters about to go to the polls, the Mirror unsurprisingly comes out with an endorsement for Keir Starmer. Against a stark, black background, its headline reads “Vote for change. Vote Labour”.

Perhaps more surprisingly, the Sun’s front page also come out in support for Labour, with “ Time for a new manager ”. Despite the waning impact of newspaper endorsements over recent years, there had been fevered speculation over who the Sun would back.

It’s the first time since 2005 that the Rupert Murdoch-owned tabloid has endorsed Labour and the editorial outlining its case is decidedly lukewarm, labelling Starmer an “ex-remainer” who wants “closer ties with Brussels”. It does however praise him for “dragging his party back to the centre ground of British politics”.

The Times – another Murdoch-owned paper – also offered cautious support for Starmer. The historic scale this election is underline in its headline: “Labour set for ‘biggest majority since 1832’”.

In an editorial headlined “Leap in the dark”, the paper states that “democracy requires change” and tellingly stopped short of urging people to vote Conservative. There is little enthusiasm in its message though, with the paper writing that “Sir Keir has left the British people with little clue as to his intentions in government”.

The Mail carries no such equivocations, with its front page dominated by a warning that votes for Reform will ensure a Labour victory. The headline reads “Vote Farage, get them …” above a picture of Starmer and his deputy, Angela Rayner.

The paper’s election day edition promises a tactical voting guide, that reads “If Labour win today, I warn you not to own a home, run a business, drive a car”; a clear allusion to former Labour leader Neil Kinnock’s celebrated speech , in the days before the 1983 election.

North of the border, the Mail’s Scottish edition tells voters to “Back Rishi and beat the SNP”, accompanied by a full page image of Nicola Sturgeon who resigned as first minister more than a year ago.

Scotland’s Daily Record also turns to recent political history, with a reference to Shepard Fairey’s iconic “Hope” poster of Barack Obama . Under an image of Keir Starmer shaded in red and blue, the paper urges voters to back Labour with the headline “Change”.

The front page of Scotland’s National reads as a direct rebuke to the Record’s headline, with “Change? What Change?” Outlining the areas in which the paper believes Starmer’s Labour will be identical to the Tories, the front page concludes by stating “in Westminster nothing ever changes”.

Across the entirety of its front page, the Express urges Britain to “Vote Tory”. Above the headline, the paper appears to take some time to convince itself of its position, acknowledging that frustration at the government is “understandable” and that it is the right of all voters to register there “protest”, however it concludes by saying it will carry the “torch of Conservatism until it is burning bright again.”

The i reports that “Labour’s lead narrows in final poll but Starmer still on course for landslide”. The paper notes that “most cabinet minister fear for their futures”.

The Financial Times says that Starmer is poised for a “200-plus majority”. “Tories braced for bleak night as polls put Labour on track for landslide win”, is the paper’s headline.

Telegraph readers would be forgiven for forgetting there was an election on, with only one small story on “postal vote chaos” indicating that it’s polling day.

The paper’s main headline reads “Homeowners face council tax raid under Labour”.

Finally, the Star’s front page simply carries a picture of a pair of oversized clown shoes and the headline “Toodle pip!”.

The paper’s front page story is just five lines long and reads “Remeber Bozo. Remember Partygate. Remember Lettuce Liz. Remember Rishi and D-Day. Remember to vote.”

5.45am BST

Voting day is here at last

Today is the day! With one hour to go, in caravans, castles, cricket clubs, and, who knows, a laundromat, a hairdresser, someone’s living room across the UK, staff at polling stations are on their way to unlock the doors, or inside making tea, or thumping a pile of ballot papers on a desk to get them straight, as they prepare to open in what is likely to be a particularly memorable election.

As Britons prepare fill their ballots in today, Labour is in the lead over the Conservatives. We will be bringing you results as they happen after polls close at 10pm BST.

Today is about the fun and excitement and power, even, of voting with me, Helen Sullivan, and my colleagues Martin Belam, Léonie Chao-Fong, Amy Sedghi and Andrew Sparrow. Our political reporters will be sending analysis and news live from around the country. It is, for journalists, a day that is about consuming many, many biscuits. We’ll be with you throughout the day, night and all of Friday as results come in.