The results of yesterday’s 2019 General Election are now in with the Conservatives returned along with a stonking majority of 78 with one seat left to declare – it will likely end up as an 80 seat majority giving Boris Johnson a comfortable buffer to push ahead with his Brexit plan of leaving the EU on the 31st of January. That may or may not please you (Only about 47% of the electorate voted for parties backing leave, so a lot won’t be happy), but that’s the outcome of three years bickering and the last six weeks campaigning.
Leaving the EU is the easy part, there’s still a trade deal to negotiate by the end of 2020 and that’s a tough ask as it depends on the EU coming together to agree the deal on their side.
The 2019 General Election result was clearly Brexit led with the country fed up with what Boris termed as “dither and delay”, but that alone can’t account for Labour’s dismal performance with barely 200 seats. The Jeremy Corbyn effect, although much loved by many, has simply turned off votors who either distrust or dislike the man or didn’t believe he could afford to deliver on his promises and so discounted them. They also refused to believe his scare stories of selling off the NHS and much as he tried to pivot issues away from Brexit that’s what the country came back to.
Across the country many lost their seats such as Anna Soubry, Chuka Umunna and Dominic Grieve who all either deserted their parties or were booted out. Others such as the long standing Dennis Skinner, Labour MP for Bolsover since 1970, were more surprising to see fall.
This was a night when leaders were toppled with Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson seeing her seat go to the SNP and Sinn Féin unseat the DUP Westminster leader Nigel Dodds. It won’t stop here, obviously Jeremy Corbyn has to go and he’s already intimated that he won’t stand at the next election.
Don’t think it will be all plain sailing for Boris with his majority, the likes of which haven’t been seen since the days of Maggie Thatcher. The SNP have done well in Scotland picking up seats from both Conservative and Labour and they are already clamouring for a second independence referendum. The DUP will try to make waves over Northern Ireland’s position in the Brexit Deal, but Boris doesn’t need their support any longer and they’ll find themselves impotent and unable to demand financial sops. Their voice will still be heard.
Most important of all, it’s very obvious that vast swathes of the country have only loaned their votes to the Conservatives and they want to remain in power after their five year term then they need to deliver a country that works for everyone, not just the elite in London. However this election has also changed the Conservative party itself. Having booted dissenters out of the party, and suddenly won a swathe of MPs across the Midlands, North of England and even Wales, the party is no longer one of the South – an army of new MPs will be coming down from the North.
The 2019 General Election hasn’t just put Brexit on a certain path, it’s also changed UK politics for what could be the next decade. Labour will regroup and rally, but winning in five years time is looking very doubtful based on current performance and no party has won back the number of seats they would need at a single election.
41 Responses
the SNP will bang the drum
though common sense dictates boris will
tell them to wait until brexit part 2 is more clear,
then Scotland has a better view of what its actually voting for
When you say “the SNP are already clamouring for a second independence referendum” what you mean is that the mandate in which they fought this election ie. having an Independence referendum in 2020, should now be given as it was obviously fully backed by the Scottish people – hence the gains – and the un-seating of the Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson.
As you said in your first paragraph about Brexit : “That may or may not please you, but that’s the outcome of the last six weeks campaigning.”
Scotland having an Independence referendum “may not please you” either, but that IS the outcome of the last six weeks campaigning”
Imperialism then?
I cannot believe place like Redcar voted for a Tory.
Anyway Boris can do what the hell he wants now and none of them have the power to do anything.
The SNP will shout and stamp their feet as normal, but the Pro UK in Scotland is still held just split with the Tories, Lab and Lib Dems.
She will claim 48 seats will give her another mandate on top of all the other ones she claims she has, they will just play the politics of grievance as normal, she was always going to clamour for indyref2 anyway whatever she got.
Labour will have to come back to normality now, get rid of Corbyn style politics and give people a real choice in the future as they will pay a heavy price under a Boris Government….with continued poor working conditions, greater inequality. The Banks and Tory Donors will be rubbing their greedy hands as normal however…
I would rather not discuss politics here – what are the consequences for my e-commerce business? I am a small online bookseller selling books across the entire world on multiple online marketplaces based in the UK, US and EU. How does it affect me?
now that there is a UK government that can function we wonder what the out come of a Scottish indy2 referendum would be
one thing voting in a general election , another in a referendum where the choice is entirely different,
the recent EU elections highlight this ,the conservatives were nowhere in the EU elections, yet win a landside in a general election,
we dont think its the SNP that is the attraction
more the fear of corbyn and his peoples republic of islington
we wonder if john ashworth will still claim it was banter
Blyth Valley voting for a Tory…. the town hasn’t improved much since its inception in 1950’s. Go on BFI archives and watch some old recordings and you will see almost all seaside towns were in better shape 70 years ago than now! That’s not progress Britain… Even the Blyth beach isn’t that pretty but at least it’s clean from junkie’s needles one could find through 80’s -90’s and that’s mostly thanks to EU laws I guess. Oh wait…
@tyler : “Not sure they quite got a mandate, the SNP only got 45% of the votes – I think you are referring to the 2014 referendum here Tyler” If you could please present actual facts rather than misnomers that would be helpful.
In this election the SNP got 81% of all votes cast in Scotland – does that suffice as a mandate?
“The funny little thing” that you refer to is the first Minister of Scotland – show some respect please.
“They” have no power – to whom do you refer – the 81% of voters who voted for the mandate of independence? Or just the people of Scotland in general?
Talking of “they have no power” – Boris Johnson (Conservative Party) got 43.6% of the UK vote – less than the 45% you refer to in the 2014 Scottish referendum – but yet he still has a mandate? Very interesting the way in which you perceive things isn’t it?
“Personally I think, in time, they should be given the chance due to the UK leaving the EU, but only on that basis and what is the hurry?“ That’s very kind of you Tyler, thank you so much.
What basis is this that you are talking about, your basis? Given that Scotland does not want to leave the EU you still find it fair that a part of the “Union” that does not want to leave should be MADE to leave – not much of a “Union” is it? Before we get in to the “you are part of the UK” nonsense, it would not have mattered if Scotland had voted for ALL the seats in Scotland to be Labour or Liberal, we would still have ended up with a Tory government. So you will see that whatever Scotland votes it never gets (also applicable to Wales or Norther Ireland – the other parts of the “Union”). Elections are won and lost in England.
So as not to have to send this reply to Sam too, who says “The SNP will shout and stamp their feet as normal, but the Pro UK in Scotland is still held just split with the Tories, Lab and Lib Dems.” What part of 81% of the vote and 48 out of 59 seats gets you to the conclusion that “the Pro UK in Scotland is still held just split” – may I be so bold as to recommend a basic Arithmetic class to you.
It is “reasoning” like your own (and Sam’s) which answers the question “and what is the hurry?“
Sturgeons in a hurry because when Alex salmonds dirty washing is hung on the line
Questions sre going to be asked
Of what she knew ?
and if she did not know why?
@tyler,
My apologies, a bit of confusion there on the percentage of seats to percentage of votes. I will enrol in the basic Arithmetic class now!! haha
You are correct on the seats issue but if it is seats that count the SNP got 48 out of 59 in Scotland and they obviously do not get votes from anywhere else other than Scotland. I do however have friends in England who would have liked to have voted SNP but couldn’t, maybe a consideration for the future? You are also correct on “areas” of the UK that voted to remain but Scotland is a country, that is the point. You want to take an entire country out of something that it does not want to leave.
If we go back to 2010 the SNP got 6 seats in Scotland (10% of the seats) and yet Scotland was “allowed” to have a referendum and forgive me for sounding suspicious – but maybe it was “allowed” as it was thought that there would be nowhere near the 45% of the vote that was reached for the Yes campaign. Now that the SNP win 48 seats (81% of the seats) this somehow equates to not being allowed to have a referendum. The SNP ran this election with an independence referendum as an integral part of its policy and the country of Scotland voted for that (if we are going on the “it’s seats that matter” philosophy). Is a country not afforded another opportunity of voting again because it is part of a Union, or because a larger part of that Union doesn’t want it to have one? That does not make the Union sound very fair does it? That is like saying that we can never have any more general elections again, I mean how many elections do you want? 🙂
“Funny little thing” – wow! Respect you say? I don’t think anything else need be said on that.
1. How long would it take to unravel from the UK – I don’t know. How long will it take to unravel from the EU?
2. Would the EU allow Scotland to join? Why would it not?
“You would also have to sort out the border problem between England & Scotland before joining the EU” – Hadrian’s wall being your suggestion for that, although you seem to be giving away parts of northern England. If there is to be no hard border in Ireland why should there be one between Scotland and England?
Get real scotland
With A total population of 5 million ,around the same size as greater Manchester
You simply cant Support an economy or public service any where near the existing
without a massive rise. In tax or support of the rest of the uk
One thing the UKleaving the EU ,much bigger operation for scotland to leave the uk
Police ,defense, communication,health are much more intertwined
We wonder what the english vote would be if they were asked if they wanted scotland
Hi Jim,
Project Fear died a long time ago. Not big enough, not rich enough etc etc etc
I think England should be given that democratic right to vote on whether they want to stay part of the “Union” too, as should Wales and Northern Ireland. It seems a reasonable question.
its not fear its reality
ignoring the facts to pursue an ideological crusade fails to alter reality
this scottish nationalisation thing is becoming a joke
The 2011 Scottish Census found that more than 150 languages other than English are used in Scottish homes.
making Gaelic an official language of scotland is just flag waving
more people in scotland speak polish or urdu than gaelic
heres some facts stu [how does scotland pay for Independence]
scotland’s notional deficit stood at £12.6bn or 7% of GDP, including North Sea oil revenues, compared with the UK’s total £23.5bn deficit, which includes Scotland’s figure. The UK deficit is equivalent to 1.1% of its GDP.
Total state spending in Scotland was £1,661 higher per person than the UK average at £75.3bn, while tax receipts were £307 less per head than the UK average, at £62.7bn. Excluding oil revenues, the deficit exceeded £14bn, equal to 22.5% of tax revenues.
@tyler, literally got 10 minutes for lunch so going to keep it short.
I won’t bother going over the same old ground with you and getting the same response.
your “Funny Little Thing” – really?
“Project fear is not dead, it is alive and well in Scotland and being used by the SNP” – Wahhahahaha!
No comment about Hadrian’s wall? or the question of if there is to be no hard border in Ireland why there should be one between Scotland and England?
@jim, I could go and search out figures from a pro-independence site somewhere and cut and paste it in and show you the opposite of what you have written and pretend I know everything about everything but that will not change either of our opinions on this.
I agree too with what James has said; Why would we cut out oil? Same bemusement at Gaelic?
Anything on England being given that democratic right to vote on whether they want to stay part of the “Union” too, as well as Wales and Northern Ireland?
Lunchtime over!
@ stu & james
who excluded oil ?
scotland’s notional deficit stood at £12.6bn or 7% of GDP, “INCLUDING” North Sea oil revenues
and if greta thunberg has her way its worthless anyhow
One of the reason that the SNP will never actually achieve independence under Nicola is the complete rubbish they come out with.
The Official Language in “Scotland is Scots” …please what complete nonsense, it is English and it has been for CENTURIES.
Sturgeon knows fine well she is not going to get an indyref2, but she has to be seen to make a lot of noise or the extremes in the SNP will have her out on her ear.
A few marchs, a few bold statements on TV we have seen it all before., it has become a total snooze fest.
Plus the SNP do not care about being in the EU the whole thing was just the latest excuse for independence. Half of the 1M in Scotland who voted to leave the EU (another 1M Nicky ignores) are SNP voters.
Do you know what before 2014 I had nothing against the SNP, since then their behaviour has been a national disgrace, they do not talk for the majority they play the politics of grievance, she has proven to be undemocratic and a tin pot tyrant.
Does anyone think if Sturgeon had won the OFFICIAL referendum in 2014 she would give anyone who voted NO a second chance, answer NOT a chance.
The worst thing is Scotland could become a independent country it has a small population and an awful lot of resources. Things like the currency all that does not bother me in the slightest.
I just do not want Scotland to be run by a bunch of idiots, grievance peddlers like the SNP and it is fortunate the majority and the ones with common sense see straight through the SNP (the very ones that would make Scotland you would need to make a independent Scotland work).
I was going to say that debates can be heated and we can all agree to disagree, that’s a debate. When it starts to become personal and “aggressive” (if that’s the right word) or even just saying things to provoke a reaction, it may well be time to draw a deep breath, sit back and reflect. Nobody will change anybody else’s opinion if we are “fighting” about it – I WAS going to say that – and then agent provocateur tyler came back 😉
Happy “debating” everyone – I’m outta here!
Divided Brexit Britain… and now we even get “divided” readers in comment section here. Go out for a walk. Your comments became unreadable 10 replies ago and make no sense anylonger.