Election night 24: the nation decides

A couple of explainers on the mechanics and a preview of the outcome

The Guardian has three step-by-step guides as to how election day, and then night, will unfold.

UK general election: how does it work, when are the results and why does it matter to the world?

TV tonight: a guide to watching the general election

What time will we know who won? Hour-by-hour guide to election

How much will Labour win by?

Questions on the Labour majority size video:

1. What is the projected majority for Labour in the upcoming election, and how does it compare to historical records?

2. How do the Conservatives feel about the projection of a 212-seat majority for Labour on the eve of polling day?

3. Why is this projected majority considered significant in terms of electoral history?

4. What range of uncertainty exists in the current projection, and what could be the potential margin of error in the majority calculation?

5. How would the House of Commons look if the projection holds true, and what are some notable records being broken?

6. What impact would this projection have on key political figures such as Rishi Sunak and Sir Edward Davey?

7. Who might find this video transcript particularly interesting or relevant?

Correct answers:

1. The projected majority for Labour in the upcoming election is 212 seats, which would be the biggest majority for any single party since 1832.

2. The Conservatives did not want to see a projected majority of 212 seats for Labour on the eve of polling day.

3. This projected majority is significant because it would break numerous electoral records, including being larger than any majority seen in this century and the last.

4. The projection has a central estimate of a 212-seat majority but could potentially range from 282 seats to 132 seats due to the margin of error.

5. If the projection holds true, Labour would have 431 seats in the House of Commons, the largest in their history, while the Conservatives would have 102 seats, the lowest on record.

6. The projection would have a significant impact on key political figures like Rishi Sunak, whose party would lose 263 seats compared to 2019, and Sir Edward Davey, who would gain 61 seats.

7. Students studying politics, political analysts, and individuals interested in UK elections may find this video transcript particularly interesting or relevant.

Interesting international take, this time from Australian news...

In terms of voting behaviour, I would always argue that campaigns can't win elections, but they can affect the result. Most votes are still cast on long term associations, like party alignment, socio-economic status and now age. But elections are won or lost on medium term issues where voters are influenced by the performance of the current government, future policies, the respective party leaders, and the perception among the electorate as to how the economy is performing. A good or bad campaign can widen the gap between parties, with a an example of the latter from previous years being Theresa May in 2017. And it looks like Rishi Sunak's poor performance this year has potentially worsened his party's prospects, putting what were previously thought as relatively safe Tory seats in danger. For an explainer on how the campaign appears to have switched some voters away from the Conservatives since the election was called, here is a short video explainer...