UK’s election: The essential guide

UK’s election: The essential guide

Polls open on Thursday, but here’s your chance to mug up before they do. 

By JAMES RANDERSON 12/11/19, 2:37 PM CET

https://www.politico.eu/article/uk-election-2019-the-essential-guide/

When the polls open at 7 a.m. Thursday, campaigning in the U.K.'s first December general election in over a century will be at an end.

After a gruelling campaign that has included Labour promises of massive hikes in public spending; a Tory pledge repeated ad nauseam to "get Brexit done;" claims of Russian interference; and the prime minister's unprecedented refusal to submit to a BBC flagship interview, it will be over to the voters to give their verdict.

But before they do, there's still time to mug up on the campaign so far and what the result of the election might mean for the U.K.'s future.

Here are the highlights of POLITICO's coverage:

What's on offer: Here's the manifestos of the three main parties compared — plus more on the plans for government from the Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats.

Changing of the guard: Whatever happens on Thursday, some big names in British politics have used this election as their cue to step out of the political limelight.

Hold-your-nose-election: More than ever, British voters will feel compelled to opt for their least-worst candidate on Thursday.

Boris Johnson's women problem: If the Tory leader fails to win a majority, many may look to his unpopularity among women for an explanation.

Jeremy Corbyn's activist army: Momentum, the campaign group that propelled Corbyn to the leadership of the Labour Party in 2015, has sought advice from supporters of U.S. presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders on how best to organize grassroots volunteers.

Lib Dems fail to take off: They may be flying the flag for the EU in the election, but the Liberal Democrat promise to cancel Brexit isn't landing as well as they hoped — even with continental Europeans who have recently become Brits.

Going it alone: They are the politicians at the heart of the U.K.'s slow motion political crack-up — now they have to win solo to stay in the game. If the long-predicted reconfiguration of British politics under the strain of Brexit is to come to pass, watch out on election night for the success or failure of a new breed of independent candidates.

Leave alliance: Nigel Farage's decision to stand down his Brexit Party candidates in Tory-held seats looked like an early Christmas present for Johnson. But it is unlikely to be a game-changer.

Hollow center: When the House of Commons returns after the strange December election, Britain will be a very different place. No matter the outcome, one thing is already certain: The country’s political center will have all but disappeared.

Cyber interference: Despite a slew of warnings from regulators and politicians, British ministers have not acted to fix vulnerabilities in the U.K.'s antiquated electoral laws. That has raised fears that the December 12 poll will once again be marred by clandestine digital political interference.

EU Confidential election special: POLITICO's journalists analyse the campaign from both a U.K. and Continental European perspective and look at what could happen as the results roll in early Friday morning. We are also on the ground with voters in Stirling — one of Scotland's most marginal constituencies.