UK election close say latest polls
Oliver Rowland
Thu 12 Dec 2019 11h12
Rachel H_
As Britain heads to the polling stations today the latest election polls show the general election is likely to be a close run thing.
Likely outcomes are a win for the Conservatives or a hung parliament, predictions suggest – however with Brexit being the big issue of the day there is likely to be significant 'tactical voting'.
Indications are that the Conservative poll lead over Labour has been narrowing and the Conservatives may lose in some seats to the Brexit Party despite the party having withdrawn its candidates in 317 Conservative-held seats.
Meanwhile the pound is holding up well despite the election uncertainty, though at €1.18 it is down from a high of €1.19 at the start of the week.
Polls in the UK will remain open until 22:00 UK time (23:00 in France) when results of exit polls will be announced, often a good indication of the outcome. The results will then come in from around 02:00 to 06:00 French time with the final result known as people in France are starting to get up.
A hung parliament would result if no party has gained an absolute majority of 326 out of 650 seats.
The party with the most votes would probably then try to make a coalition (such as the Conservatives had with the Liberal Democrats from 2010-2015) or 'confidence and supply' agreement with another party or parties (such as the Tories had with the DUP after 2017) so as to form a government.
The difference is that in the latter the smaller party agrees to back the larger one in important votes but does not obtain ministerial roles in the government.
William Tobin, the Brittany resident who is standing against Boris Johnson in Uxbridge and South Ruislip will be at the count tonight along with such colourful candidates as Lord Buckethead and Count Binface.
He is hoping to get zero votes but is standing to draw attention to the anger of Britons abroad who have missed the chance to vote again due to the continuing 15-year limit on expatriate voting, which has now been promised in three successive Conservative manifestos.
It comes as some Britons in France have again been disenfranchised due to not receiving their postal ballots in time.
Connexion will be speaking to Mr Tobin on Friday morning, along with seeking comment from other experts and leaders of groups for the British community in France.
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