The year 2024 has been an extraordinary one for the global electorate, with more than half the world's population going to the polls in elections in 50 countries from Algeria to Venezuela. While some arrived with an element of surprise – from snap elections in France and Japan to the earlier-than-expected date of the UK general election – others, notably the US presidential election, were set long in advance, although even there, the eleventh-hour substitution of the Democrat candidate was an unexpected event. There are certain sectors and regions that may be more affected than others by a change in political leadership. We have therefore brought together a group of investment trust managers of both broad and specialist strategies to discuss what investors can expect in a changing global political landscape.
