Voting ends in UK election

LONDON, England -- The polls have closed in the United Kingdom's general election with the first results expected within the hour.

Prime Minister Tony Blair will soon know whether he will be asked to serve a second term, as opinion polls consistently predicted during the month-long campaign.

Voting ended across the country at 10 p.m. local time (2100 GMT) on Thursday night, with the first results expected by 11 p.m. (2200 GMT). Voting began at 7 a.m. local time (0600 GMT).

Blair's Labour Party is defending a 179-seat majority in the House of Commons, the UK's main legislative body.

The centre-left party faces challenges from the centre-right Conservative Party, led by William Hague, and Charles Kennedy's Liberal Democrats.

Labour's campaign focused on improving public services, notably health and education, while the Conservatives -- also known as the Tories -- fought vigorously against the UK entering the single European currency and urging a tough policy on asylum seekers.

The Liberal Democrats' campaign focused on increasing taxes to pay for more spending on health and education.

The 44.5 million people registered to vote were electing Members of Parliament (MPs) to the 659 seats in the House of Commons, with 330 needed for a majority.

In the last election in 1997, Labour won 418 seats, the Conservatives took 165 and the Liberal Democrats won 46.

Parliamentary seats are being contested by a total of 3,294 candidates.

Other parties contesting the election include the Scottish National Party in Scotland, Plaid Cymru in Wales and Northern Ireland's Ulster Unionists, Democratic Unionists, Social Democratic and Labour Party and Sinn Fein.

Queen Elizabeth II, Britain's head of state, will invite the winning party to form a government, while the party finishing second is named Her Majesty's Official Opposition.

MPs will be sworn in on June 13, with the state opening of Parliament due to take place on June 20.

Local elections for councils in England and Wales are also being contested on Thursday.