London, May 05: Britain goes to polls tomorrow. Campaigning for Thursday’s elections is at its peak on Wednesday.
This is seen as one of the most closely fought elections in recent times. Around 45 million people will cast their vote in the closely contested elections in 650 constituencies. Party leaders with an eye on No.10 Downing Street rolled up their sleeves and shook that extra hand in the last minute effort before the polls. The high-pitched campaigning has seen Brown, Cameron and Clegg battling it out on TV debates and hitting the streets.
The three main parties are working round the clock after a new survey found that almost 40 percent of voters have yet to make a final decision.
The Conservatives, led by David Cameron, are hoping to return to power after 13 years of Labour government, while Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg’s surging popularity could upset many political calculations.
Labour seems to be facing an uphill task, which has not been made easy by their leader and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s chance encounter with a 65-year-old widow, who he called “bigoted”.
That’s not all. Indian origin Labour candidate Manish Sood has described Brown as the “worst prime minister ever”.
According to the Electoral Commission, the voter turn out in the past three elections have been – at the May 1, 1997 general election: 71.4 percent, at the June 7, 2001 general election: 59.54 percent and at the May 5, 2005 general election: 61.4 percent.
—Agencies