UK parties in final hunt for votes before Thursday election

Britain’s political parties embark Sunday on a final hunt for votes ahead of this week’s general election, making last-ditch appeals to shore up support and persuade their backers to go to the polls.

All 650 seats in the House of Commons are up for grabs Thursday when voters will pass judgement on a divisive election that will determine Britain’s future with European Union.

Although opinion polls have placed Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson in the lead in Thursday’s general election, analysts suggest the gap is not wide enough to guarantee a majority in Parliament. Johnson urges supporters at a London rally on Sunday to learn from the 2017 election, which saw former Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May fritter away a decisive lead in the polls and end up with a divided Parliament.

“We’re now in the final furlong of this race, and that is when of course the horses can still change places,” Johnson says before urging the group to ”drive for the line.”

“We’re going to get there, but only if we work really hard,” he says.

Johnson and members of his Cabinet also hit the phones in a bid to gain support, making calls from the Conservative Party headquarters in central London. In one comical moment, Johnson offers his name to one potential voter, but feels the need to add: “I’m the prime minister.”

— AP