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American Morning

Britain Votes: Prime Minister Tony Blair Expected to Win Easily

Aired June 07, 2001 - 10:33   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: In Britain, voters are going to the polls for today's general elections. Prime Minister Tony Blair is looking for a big victory for his Labor Party. With more on today's vote, let's go now live to London and CNN's Sheila MacVicar -- Sheila, good morning.

SHEILA MACVICAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. Well, indeed, Prime Minister Tony Blair is looking for a big majority, a renewed majority, and if the opinion polls are right, then he is going to get it. Analysts are saying it could be a huge and historic vote if he becomes the -- is reelected as prime minister he will be the first Labor leader to serve two terms in office since the party was formed more than a century ago.

The polls have been open here now for some time. The voting here proceeds in a way that the votes actually aren't announced, the ballots aren't announced until after all the votes in a particular constituency are counted. So it will be some hours tonight before we know exactly what has transpired.

But all of the opinion polls are saying that it is Prime Minister Tony Blair who will be very handily reelected. The only question is not who is going to be prime minister, but by how much will he be prime minister. The story is somewhat different for conservative leader William Hague, who is the second running party in this election. They have had not a very good campaign. Some people would say they've even had a fairly dismal campaign and at stake now is not only the number of seats the conservatives hold in the parliament, on the assumption that they will remain the opposition, but whether he keeps his own job.

HARRIS: Well, Sheila, thank you. We're sorry to cut you short there in your report because we have another live event for some men who have won their own respective elections. They are elected officials here in the U.S.

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