Labour is hopeful and Conservatives morose as voters deliver their verdict on UK's election day

British voters are picking a new government in a parliamentary election Thursday that is widely expected to bring the opposition Labour Party to power. Against a backdrop of economic malaise, mounting distrust of government institutions and a fraying social fabric, a fractious electorate is delivering its verdict on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party, which has been in power since 2010. The center-left Labour Party, led by Keir Starmer, has had a steady and significant lead in opinion polls for months, but Labour leaders have warned against taking the election result for granted. Sunak has tried to rally his supporters, saying he still thought the Conservatives could win and defending his record on the economy.