with input from agencies)LONDON: The opposition Labour Party in UK has extended its lead over the governing Rishi Sunak 's Conservative Party to 18 points, according to Reuters that cited an opinion poll released on Saturday.The national in UK is expected to happen later this year.According to the poll conducted by Opinium Research cited by Reuters, it was forecasted that Labour would secure 43% of the vote, in comparison to 25% for the Conservatives .The previous poll had indicated that Labour was leading by 16 points.Sunak and Labour leader Keir Starmer are increasingly turning the economy into a battleground before the election. Opinium highlighted that Labour was ahead on all economic matters, such as enhancing public services and managing the economy.The opinion poll body mentioned that they conducted an online survey involving 2,029 adults from the UK between May 15 and 17.A poll conducted by YouGov for the Times newspaper and published on May 9 showed that Labour was leading by 30 points.The Conservatives have been in government, either in coalition or on their own, since 2010, with the tenure largely marked by Britain's vote to leave the European Union and controversy over the handling of the COVID crisis.The country has had five different prime ministers during that period.

Source: The Times May 19, 2024 09:45 UTC