Polls open for British national elections

(5 May 2005) 1. Various of election workers putting up signs outside polling stations 2. Wide of polling station 3. Election worker carrying bill board 4. Various of voters arriving to vote 5. Voters looking at list of candidates 6. SOUNDBITE: (English) Steve Huxton, Voter: "Partly, I think like a lot of people we don't like the idea of Blair coming back in again after the Iraq war but it hasn't been the full deciding factor for me at all." 7. Voter coming out of polling station 8. SOUNDBITE: (English) Andrew Chadwick, Voter: "Personally, I didn't mind Blair going to war with Iraq but the basis upon which he went I think was entirely wrong. I also think, on economic matters, that the government spends billions and billions of pounds of tax payers' money to no great effect." 9. Voter arriving to vote 10. Close up of list of candidates 11. Voter arriving to vote STORYLINE Voters cast their ballots in Britain's general election on Thursday as polls opened for a race that pits the opposition Conservative leader Michael Howard against Prime Minister Tony Blair, who is seeking an unprecedented third term in office. Although Blair's Labour Party is expected to win the election, widespread public anger over the war in Iraq could keep him from securing the landslide victories he won in 1997 and 2001. Few expect Howard to become prime minister, but the Conservatives could cut back the number of seats Labour holds in the House of Commons. If Labour's majority shrinks significantly, it could badly damage Blair, who would wield less power than in his first two terms and lose standing within his party. Turnout in the race could be crucial. The last general election in 2001 saw a turnout of 59 percent - the lowest since troops returned in 1918 at the end of World War I. Blair's decision to commit the country to war in Iraq and his centrist stance on domestic issues - including plans to partly privatise some public services - have infuriated many within his own party. But outside a London polling station on Thursday morning, voters said the Iraq war had not been one of the main issues influencing their decision. Tony Blair he has benefited from the Conservatives' even greater unpopularity, and a perception that the opposition is less capable of handling the economy. Blair has warned anti-war Labour stalwarts against casting a protest vote for the Liberal Democrats, saying that could pave the way for a Conservative victory. The Conservative campaign has focused on tightening immigration, cutting taxes and cleaning up hospitals. Although Howard supported the Iraq war, he attacked Blair, accusing the prime minister of lying about intelligence and the legality of the invasion and lacking a plan to win the peace. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...