UK election: The main players as voters head to polls across the United Kingdom

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives are widely expected to lose in Thursday’s UK election after 14 years in power under five different prime ministers.

Opinion polls show Labour Party leader Keir Starmer is set for a big win in a poll that could deliver a big shake-up to British politics.

The Conservatives and Labour traditionally dominate British politics under the UK’s “first past the post” electoral system, which makes it difficult for smaller parties to win representation in parliament.

Here’s a look at the main parties ahead of Thursday’s vote.

CONSERVATIVES

Who’s their leader? Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Sunak, 44, came to power in October 2022 when he inherited a Conservative Party and an economy in turmoil after Liz Truss ‘s short-lived term as prime minister

Sunak has stressed he is the man who steadied the ship, but critics say he lacks political judgment and is out of touch with ordinary voters

How many seats did they win in the last election? 365

What are they promising?

Delivering a stronger economy and cutting taxes by some STG17 billion ($A32 billion) per year.

Increasing public health spending above inflation, and boosting defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2030

LABOUR

Who’s their leader? Keir Starmer.

The 61-year-old lawyer, a former chief prosecutor for England and Wales, is the favourite to be Britain’s next leader

A centrist and pragmatist, Starmer has worked hard to steer his party away from the more overtly socialist policies of former leader Jeremy Corbyn and quelled internal divisions

Critics call him unexciting and unambitious, but Labour has surged in popularity under his leadership

How many seats did they win in the last election? 202

What are they promising?

Promoting “wealth creation,” encouraging investment and improving Britain’s infrastructure like railways under a 10-year infrastructure strategy

Setting up a state-owned clean power company to boost energy security, paid for by a windfall tax on oil and gas giants

Taxing private schools to pay for thousands of new teachers in state schools. Cutting record-high public health waiting times

LIBERAL DEMOCRATS

Who’s their leader? Ed Davey.

Davey, 58, was first elected to parliament in 1997 and served as the government’s energy and climate change secretary under an uneasy Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition from 2012 to 2015

Davey became leader of the left-of-centre Lib Dems in 2019 and was not a household name until this election, when he made headlines with multiple zany stunts - including bungee-jumping to urge voters to take “a leap of faith”

How many seats did they win in the last election? 11

What are they promising?

Improving Britain’s overstretched health and social care systems, including introducing free nursing care at home. Investing in renewable energy and home insulation

Rejoining the European Union’s single market

REFORM UK

Who’s their leader? Nigel Farage.

Farage, a political firebrand who takes pride in being the disruptor in British politics, has posed a serious headache to the Conservatives since announcing he is running in the election

The 60-year-old populist has long divided opinion with his anti-migrant rhetoric and Eurosceptic stance

A key proponent of Brexit, Farage is capturing many disillusioned Conservative voters with his promises to cut immigration and focus on “British values”

Farage previously ran for parliament seven times but never won

How many seats did they win in the last election? None — though the party gained its first lawmaker this year when ex-Conservative Party deputy chair Lee Anderson defected to Reform.

What are they promising?

Freezing all “non-essential immigration” and barring international students from bringing their dependents

Leaving the European Convention on Human Rights so that asylum-seekers can be deported without interventions from rights courts

Scrapping “net zero” goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in order to bring down energy bills

SCOTTISH NATIONAL PARTY (SNP)

Who’s their leader? John Swinney.

Swinney, 60, became the SNP’s third leader in just over a year ago

The politician has sought to bring stability to the party, which has been in turmoil since Scotland’s long-serving First Minister Nicola Sturgeon abruptly stepped down last year during a campaign finance investigation that eventually led to criminal charges against her husband

Swinney has long served the party: he joined its ranks at 15 and previously led the party from 2000 to 2004

How many seats did they win in the last election? 48

What are they promising?

Swinney has said if his party wins a majority of seats in Scotland he will try to open Scottish independence negotiations with the UK government

He wants to rejoin the European Union and the European single market

He also called for boosting public health funding, scrapping the UK’s Scotland-based nuclear deterrent, and an immediate ceasefire in Gaza