An exit poll indicated that, following 14 years of political and economic turmoil, voters would punish the governing Conservatives by handily electing the UK’s Labour Party to a landslide victory in Friday’s parliamentary election.

Moments after the polls closed, the results of the survey showed that Keir Starmer, the head of the center-left Labour party, will become the next prime minister of the nation. He will confront a jaded public that is eager for change in the face of a depressing economy, growing institutional mistrust, and a deteriorating social cohesion.

The Conservatives were in shock by their historic setback, which would leave the party in disarray and probably lead to a leadership contest against Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Thousands of election workers were tallying millions of ballot papers at counting stations across the nation.

In the last hours before voting closed, London voter James Erskine expressed optimism for change, saying, “Nothing has gone well in the last 14 years.” “I just think there could be a huge change here, and that’s what I’m hoping for.”

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage stokes controversy

Though many of the same populist undercurrents flow in Britain, the proposed result seems to defy recent rightward electoral changes in Europe, especially in France and Italy.

With his party’s anti-immigrant “take our country back” stance, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has stoked controversy and undermined support for the Conservatives, who already faced bleak chances.

The exit poll indicates that Labour will take around 410 seats in the 650-seat House of Commons, while the Conservatives will hold 131 seats. The Tories would have the fewest seats in their almost 200-year history, which would leave the party in chaos.

Some smaller parties, such as the moderate Liberal Democrats and Reform UK, seemed to have done well, which may be an indication of the unstable public mood and dissatisfaction with the system. One significant unanswered question was whether Farage’s hard-right party would be able to leverage its popularity to win more than a few seats in Parliament.

Labour Party politicians wary

The survey revealed “a catastrophic result in historic terms for the Conservative Party,” according to former Conservative leader William Hague. Nevertheless, Labour Party politicians were wary due to years of disillusionment.

Deputy leader Angela Rayner told AP News, “The exit poll is encouraging, but obviously we don’t have any of the results yet.”

Ipsos, a pollster, asks participants at a number of polling places to complete a duplicate ballot that represents their voting behavior. Typically, it offers a trustworthy but imprecise forecast of the result.

British voters cast paper votes, writing their selections in pencil, which are subsequently tallied by hand. We anticipate having final results by Friday morning.

A series of stormy years in Britain, some of which the Conservatives created and some of which they did not, have left many voters with doubts about the future of their nation.

The COVID-19 epidemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union all hurt the economy, yet lockdown parties hosted by then-prime minister Boris Johnson and his staff infuriated the public.

Source: AP

Jeffrey Donaldson, the former head of Northern Ireland’s most famous pro-union party, will face trial on charges of previous sex offenses, including one of rape.

Donaldson went before a preliminary inquiry on Wednesday, which agreed to proceed with a trial set for September 10, according to a statement issued to CNN by the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service (NICTS).

Donaldson | CNN image

Former Top Northern Irish Politician Jeffrey Donaldson To Stand Trial Over Alleged Sex Offenses

Donaldson resigned as head of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) in March after being accused with 11 sexual charges.

The lawmaker has since been charged with an additional seven counts. The 18 alleged acts include one allegation of rape, 13 charges of indecent assault on a female youngster, and four counts of gross indecency toward a kid.

Donaldson was asked in court whether he wanted to speak about the charges, according to PA Media. “Not at this stage,” he said, according to the news agency.

Eleanor Donaldson, his wife, is also scheduled to stand trial in September. She has been charged with one count of helping and abetting rape, three counts of aiding and abetting assault on a female child, and one count of cruelty to a person under 16.

Donaldson led the DUP from 2019 through much of the contentious Brexit process, frequently expressing his opposition to the Northern Ireland Protocol, a vital component of the Brexit withdrawal agreement that ensured there would be no hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Donaldson and his wife have already denied all claims, according to Irish national network RTÉ on Wednesday.

Jeffery Donaldson | CNN Image

Former Top Northern Irish Politician Jeffrey Donaldson To Stand Trial Over Alleged Sex Offenses

Donaldson’s trial was announced as Northern Ireland residents prepared to vote in the UK general election. Northern Ireland, one of the UK’s four devolved nations, has 18 members in the Westminster parliament. Northern Irish politicians can run for a seat in Westminster or the devolved legislature, the Northern Ireland Assembly. Sinn Féin, the leading nationalist party, does not take up their seats in Westminster if elected.

Donaldson was set to run again in the Lagan Valley constituency, but former DUP party colleague Jonathan Buckley has replaced him.

SOURCE – (CNN)

Prince Harry discussed sorrow and grief with the founder of a charity that helps children who have lost a parent while serving in the British military forces.

“You convince yourself that the person you’ve lost wants you, or you need to be sad for as long as possible to prove to them that they are missed,” said the Duke of Sussex, who lost his mother, Princess Diana, when he was 12 years old.

Prince Harry | CNN Image

Prince Harry Opens Up About Grief And Bereavement

“But then there’s this realization of, no, they must want me to be happy,” he told Nikki Scott, founder of Scotty’s Little Soldiers, in a charity video posted Thursday.

Diana died in a vehicle incident in Paris on August 31, 1997. She was 36 years old.

Harry emphasized the necessity of discussing feelings during the grieving process.

“That’s the hardest thing, especially for kids, I think, which is, ‘I don’t want to talk about it because it will make me sad, but once realizing that if I do talk about it, and I’m celebrating their life, then actually, things become easier,'” according to him.

Harry, a global ambassador for Scotty’s Little Soldiers, spoke with Scott ahead of Armed Forces Day on June 29.

Scott told the Duke about the moment she had to inform her son, Kai, that his father, Cpl. Lee Scott had been murdered in Afghanistan.

It was the worst. “How do you tell a 5-year-old this?” she asked, recalling the emotion of having “shattered his world” in July 2009.

Scotty’s Little Soldiers estimates that 2,100 children lose a parent who served in the UK military each year.

The nonprofit now serves over 680 members and hopes to serve over 1,000 persons annually by 2030.

Prince Harry | CNN Image

Prince Harry Opens Up About Grief And Bereavement

Harry complimented Scott for her “incredible” efforts in establishing the foundation.

“It’s incredibly inspirational. I’m incredibly honored and privileged to be a part of Scotty’s now, and I’m looking forward to doing everything we can to bring in more people, generate more interest, collect more cash, and get the message out there to get more kids the help they so urgently need,” he said in a news statement.

A video of their entire talk can be viewed on the charity’s website.

SOURCE – CNN