Former Bermudian leaders have laid their predictions for today’s British General Election and the effect it could have on Bermuda.

The Labour Party is expected to win the most seats in an historic landslide victory against the Conservative Party, ending its 14-year reign.

Alex Scott, who led Bermuda as Premier between 2003 and 2006, agreed with the prediction and said it could be an ideal time for Bermuda to request permission to join Caricom.

Mr Scott said that, because of Labour’s progressive politics, it could be more open to Bermuda making more independent choices for itself.

He added: “We’ve been talking about it, but we really haven’t been doing anything about it.”

Mr Scott said that a Labour government could also be willing to push for global policies that could impact Bermuda, such as the Global Ocean Treaty.

The present Conservative Government showed favour for ratifying the treaty, which outlines a framework for supporting marine life.

But they pushed this task over until after the next General Election – a move that activists feared could kill the promise if the incoming government’s opinions changed.

Despite this, Mr Scott said: “I don’t see it going away under Labour, if they are successful.

“Ironically, it would be regretful if it occurs, if Labour were successful, just at a time where the Deputy Premier [Walter] Roban was leaving.

“He’s been the one here to push for this sort of environmental progressive move.”

Mr Scott said that the election of a new government would be an opportune time for Bermuda to review its relationship with the British Government.

He added that the Labour Party’s left leanings could also push Bermuda to be more open and progressive regarding some political topics, such as immigration.

The Labour Party, led by Sir Keir Starmer, is predicted to win 431 seats, up 229 from 2019.

It will give them a majority of 212 seats — the most in the party's history.

The Conservative Party, led by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, is predicted to lose 263 seats, falling down to 102.

The Conservative-run government, which saw five prime ministers, enacted controversial legislation over topics such as immigration and Brexit that split the country.

Sir John Swan also predicted that the polls would see a shift away from the Conservative Party because its strategy had “run its course”.

But he stressed that, whichever way the polls went, the island would be forced to work under the country’s policies.

Sir John explained: “It’s our task and our agenda that ties in with their circumstance.

“We can’t make their agenda fit into ours — we have to fit into their agenda.

“You have to adapt.”

Sir John said that Bermuda must instead make as many choices within its remit as it could.

He added that, if the island wanted more political freedoms, it should consider going independent — something, Sir John said, that the public did not appear keen on.

Sir John said: “We have a choice — we can become independent and make all of the decisions we want to make, but the cost of independence would be foreign affairs. We’d have to look after our own passports and documentation and defence would be our responsibility.

“As a dependent territory under the British, they’re going to do things in their best interest and we have to decide if we can live with what their best interest is.”

Sir John, who was Premier between 1982 and 1995, said that the Conservative Party had been had been the most helpful to Bermuda from an economic standpoint during his tenure.

He explained that then British prime minister Margaret Thatcher was good at bringing an “international” approach to problems.

But he added that this version of the Conservative Party was “not the same” that he encountered.