Great Britain just had a general election. As is usually the case with parliamentary democracies, the final numbers aren't in yet but from all indications, the Conservatives seem to have won one of their most crushing victories in a couple of decades.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is celebrating what he calls a "huge great stonking mandate" to deliver Brexit after a landslide win for his Conservative Party in Thursday's election. The party won a majority of at least 76 seats in Parliament, its biggest since the 1980s, while the Labour Party saw its share of the vote collapse in its "red wall" of supposedly safe seats in northern England and the Midlands, the BBC reports. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, whose party lost 59 seats, said he would stay on for now, but he would not be leading the party in "any future general election campaign." Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson resigned after losing her own seat to a Scottish National Party candidate.
The British left is taking it as well as you might expect. All sorts of Labour constituencies seem to have broken ranks. Does any of this mean anything on this side of the Atlantic? No, not at all, insists The Nation's Katrina Vandenheuvel. Whatever are you talking about?
Must not allow Labour Party loss to be read as warning to Progressive Dems, their popular issues and Election 2020.
Translation: oh CRAP, the Democrats are screwed.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is celebrating what he calls a "huge great stonking mandate" to deliver Brexit after a landslide win for his Conservative Party in Thursday's election. The party won a majority of at least 76 seats in Parliament, its biggest since the 1980s, while the Labour Party saw its share of the vote collapse in its "red wall" of supposedly safe seats in northern England and the Midlands, the BBC reports. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, whose party lost 59 seats, said he would stay on for now, but he would not be leading the party in "any future general election campaign." Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson resigned after losing her own seat to a Scottish National Party candidate.
The British left is taking it as well as you might expect. All sorts of Labour constituencies seem to have broken ranks. Does any of this mean anything on this side of the Atlantic? No, not at all, insists The Nation's Katrina Vandenheuvel. Whatever are you talking about?
Must not allow Labour Party loss to be read as warning to Progressive Dems, their popular issues and Election 2020.
Translation: oh CRAP, the Democrats are screwed.
7 comments:
I imagine the British leftists' calling Tory voters "racists" will go over with them just as well as it does with Deplorables over here.
I hope this is an omen for our election next year. On the other hand, the Tories are less "conservative" than is the "Republican" elite here so Boris will have to perform to make this worthwhile.
Agree, Katherine, Boris needs to follow through, and I do worry he won't. But for at least today and the immediate future, man, this is fun! Been enjoying reading the headlines about the lamentations of their womyn, of both (all 26?) genders. Yes!!
Landslide victory for the Tories
Graphs & charts & stuff here: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-interactive/2019/dec/12/uk-general-election-2019-full-results-live-labour-conservatives-tories
https://www.cufi.org.uk/news/hundreds-fly-palestinian-flags-at-labour-conference-and-not-a-british-flag-in-sight/
This is what's happened to the British Labour Party. They don't need reform. They need a refoundation.
Interesting how Corbyn isn’t resigning right away as is traditional after such a stinging defeat but claims he will step down sometime in the new year. Is he in denial? What does he have to gain by lingering?
Interesting how Corbyn isn’t resigning right away as is traditional after such a stinging defeat but claims he will step down sometime in the new year. Is he in denial? What does he have to gain by lingering?
He may want to manipulate the selection process or he may think it unnecessary to give way to a temporary party leader (as was done in 2010 and 2015) and just wait for the completion of the selection process before vacating the premises.
NB, it did not used to be the case that the party leader's departure was automatic in the event of an electoral loss. Neil Kinnock retained office after his loss in 1987 (the Labour Party gained ground, but just a modest 20 seats) and led the Labour Party in the 1992 election, Michael Foot retained office for several months in 1983 (awaiting a new party leader), James Callaghan retained office for 16 months in 1979 and 1980 'ere a new leader was chosen, and Edward Heath was 1 for 4 during his 10 years as Conservative Party leader and still had to be ejected from office through a formal leadership challenge (about which he was butt-hurt for decades). Harold Wilson remained leader for 13 years and through five election campaigns. His efforts produced two victories, one loss, and two hung parliaments (with small Labour advantages).
Thanks, AD. That makes sense.
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