Is this healthy democracy at work? The next government will face one of the worst crises the UK has ever faced. Some think Britain’s most controversial politician stands to gain.
The man who could be shadow PM in 10 days
Glossary
Commodities trader - Somebody who invests in physical substances such as oil, gold or agricultural products.
Conservative party - A British political party. Members are known as Tories.
John Major - Major was the British prime minister from 1990 to 1997.
Maastricht Treaty - A key treaty in the creation of the European Union, sighed in the Netherlands in 1992. It paved the way for the single currency, the Euro.
UK Independence Party - A Eurosceptic, right-wing populist party in the United Kingdom, founded in 1993. Its most prominent figure was Nigel Farage, who has since left for the Reform Party.
House of Commons - The democratically elected house of the UK Parliament. It consists of 650 Members of Parliament.
Thames Water - A private company responsible for supplying water to and treating waste water from Greater London and some other areas.
Unions - A trade union is an association of workers which can fight for the rights of workers and defend them against unfair working conditions.
Keir Starmer - The leader of the UK Labour Party since 2020 and British prime minister since July 2024.
Vladimir Putin - Russia’s ruler since 2000. He is a strong opponent of the West.