UK votes as independence debate heats up in Scotland Published on Share
British voters went to the polls for “Super Thursday” elections that could reshape the UK as pro-independence forces in Scotland bid to break away, in the first major electoral test since Brexit and the coronavirus crisis.
The regional and local elections will test backing for Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservatives after he led Britain out of the EU and through the pandemic, overseeing Europe’s highest death toll but also its fastest vaccine rollout.
Polls closed at 2100 GMT.
Johnson, who has shrugged off recent scandals, urged high turnout for “a very big day at the polls”.
UK ruling party targets shock win in opposition stronghold Published on Share
Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservatives were bidding Friday for an upset victory in a northern industrial seat after Britain held its first major electoral test since Brexit and the coronavirus crisis.
The “Super Thursday” regional and local elections could reshape the UK as pro-independence forces in Scotland bid to break away. Results for the Scottish Parliament are due on Saturday.
First up, after 0400 GMT Friday, is expected to be the result from the UK parliamentary seat of Hartlepool, a rust-belt port deep in the opposition Labour party’s heartland of northeast England.
SNP wins Scotland as Nicola Sturgeon leads demands for indyRef2
Holyrood election result will shape Scotland s potential journey towards second independence referendum sought by SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon
The majority of results have now been declared in the Scottish Parliament election, with the SNP the largest party but unlikely to secure an overall majority.
The result - which First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has described as historic - will shape Scotland s journey towards a potential second independence referendum, dubbed IndyRef2.
The Scottish National Party (SNP) is seeking a pro-independence majority to pressure Prime Minister Boris Johnson to permit another referendum on splitting from the UK, after most Scots voted in 2014 to stay in.
LONDON - Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservatives looked set for an upset victory in a northern opposition stronghold Friday, after Britain held its first major electoral test since Brexit and the coronavirus crisis.
Updated 10.30am
Prime Minister Boris Johnson s Conservatives scored a stunning election victory in an opposition stronghold Friday, after Britain held its first major ballot box test since Brexit and the coronavirus crisis.
The Super Thursday regional and local elections could reshape the UK as pro-independence forces in Scotland, where voting for the devolved parliament was also held, bid to break away.
Results in Scotland are due on Saturday.
But early results from England on Friday showed that the Conservatives had won a landslide in the parliamentary seat of Hartlepool in the northeast, a bitter blow to the opposition Labour Party and its leader Keir Starmer.