In 2024, 64 nations from across the globe will head to the polls to decide their future.
Naturally we think of one in particular, the 2024 General Election. One we assume to be this year on account of Prime minister Rishi Sunak’s recent words, stating that he was operating on the ‘working assumption’ that the election would take place in the second half of this year.
This election is of particular significance for it could perhaps spell an end to the Conservative’s current 14-year streak in government. As it stands the Conservative party are at a 27 point deficit, in a recent poll conducted by YouGov (16-17 Jan.).
Apart from us, voters in Brazil, the United States and India will head to the polls at various stages this year, as an internationally connected country the outcomes of these election are likely to have significant ramifications for us.
For example, the outcome of the US presidential election will inevitably have an impact on us, given our so called ‘special relationship’.
One particular issue that is likely to fluctuate, dependant on the election results, is that of a potential UK-US Free Trade Agreement. According to a report from ‘The Telegraph’ late last year, whom were told by Whitehall sources that ‘ministers hoped a post-Brexit free trade agreement could be revived under a second Trump term’. This is because of the encouraging signs and negotiations given by Trump towards the end of his first term, and subsequent negative messages signalled by Biden when it came to the matter.
According to the CSIS, US goods and services accounted for 17% of the UK’s total trade. Therefore, the introduction of an FTA between our two nations would reduce the cost of basic goods, including crude oil, which accounts for $5.48b of US exports to the UK according to the OEC.
Summarily, it is important that we are mindful of elections across the world, not just our own.
