Policy Backgrounders

UK and French Elections

July 10, 2024

Trusted Insights for What’s Ahead™

Both the United Kingdom (UK) and France held elections last week; each indicated a turn to the left (sharply, in France) while holding off challenges from the right. But the UK will have a stable government while France will likely have a period of political uncertainty until a new Prime Minister is chosen.

• The Labour Party won a decisive victory with 412 seats and a majority of 174, ending 14 years of Conservative government. New Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is a moderate and has sought to develop close relationships with British business.
• The Labour Government will continue strong UK support for Ukraine and focus on improving public services and public confidence in government. It will seek closer relations with the EU but not apply to rejoin during this Parliament but could after 2029.
• The right-wing National Rally (RN) won the first round of the French elections, but electoral agreements by other parties meant that it could not win a majority in the second round, which the left coalition New Popular Front (FPN) won. President Macron’s centrist coalition came in second.
• President Macron must now nominate a Prime Minister, ideally through a coalition of centrist parties which can hold a majority in the National Assembly rather than through a minority FPN government.