An Edmonton MP who is observing the UK election said there is a feeling of resiliency in the country, days after terror attacks killed eight people in London.
READ MORE: UK election: Polls open amid heightened security following London terror attack
Edmonton Riverbend MP Matt Jeneroux spoke to Global News from Hendon — which is just outside of London — where he is stationed for the election.
Polling stations across the United Kingdom opened early Thursday morning. This is the first general election to be held post — Brexit, and it comes on the heels of three recent terror attacks in England.
Jeneroux said he was positioned at a polling station in a Jewish school, where there were approximately eight armed security guards “to ensure that nothing happens in this particular school.” He said he was told there have been issues with that polling station in the past.
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Jeneroux has noticed the security presence in and around London, but noted there is the sense Brits are trying to move forward.
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“The main message we keep hearing is [the British] are resilient and the election is going to go off without a hitch. The police have told us they’ve added additional security for today. I think there’s some caution. That’s probably the best word to use when it comes to what’s happening here in England today,” he said.
“We met with the police. We met with members of the local synagogue. We met with local candidates. Everyone is of the opinion… this isn’t going to affect our turnout or the election at all. It’s comforting to see the local perspective. I think today is just a feeling of cautiousness and let’s get the day over with.”
The MP said his role as an observer allowed him to sit down with candidates to get a sense of how the election was going and what issues or concerns they had.
RELATED: Edmontonian in London says terror attacks have united people: ‘we’re all in this together’
“The goal is to, one, help improve elections in the United Kingdom, but also to bring back the best practices to our countries as well. They do things differently here, where everything is counted manually by paper. There’s very little electronic stuff at all going on here,” he said.
There are also some considerable differences when it comes to deciding a winner in the UK. First, all ballots are counted by hand by the returning officer. Then, the candidates gather at their polling stations and are brought up on stage together, where the winner is announced.
“As a candidate, I prefer our system, when that happens,” Jeneroux said.
“However it’s pretty neat to see – this has been ongoing for hundreds of years so it’s quite interesting to see how that particular aspect of it hasn’t changed.”
Atrocities near Parliament, in Manchester and at London Bridge have left Britain on high alert. The official threat level stands at severe, the second highest rating, indicating an attack is seen as “highly likely.”
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (0600GMT to 2100GMT), with most results expected in the early hours of the morning.
— With files from The Associated Press
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