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.
Labour - Britain's main left-of-centre political party.
Keir Starmer - The leader of the UK Labour Party since 2020 and British prime minister since July 2024.
10 Downing Street - The official residence of the British prime minister.
Democracy - A system of government based on the idea of rule by the people.
Vladimir Putin - Russia’s ruler since 2000. He is a strong opponent of the West.
Propaganda - Information, which may be biased or misleading, used to promote a certain viewpoint.