UK General Elections 2017

What will be the result of the snap elections?

 In an unexpected move, British Prime Minister Theresa May called for general elections on June 8th, 2017 saying, "There should be unity here in Westminster, but instead there is division. The country is coming together, but Westminster is not,”in an official video statement on the 18th of April 2017.

What is the Conservative Party’s stance on Brexit?

It is impossible to provide an accurate and singular viewpoint of the Tories towards Brexit as there is a tripartite difference in opinion amongst the members of the party. Some members, such as David Davis, urge for a ‘hard Brexit’with no access to the single market. Others support a ‘soft Brexit’which would retain negotiations between EU partners. Theresa May’s faction maintains the ‘Brexit means Brexit’stance which looks forward to minimal access to the Eurozone market.

The distinctive divisions within the party are secondary as Theresa May has already triggered Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty on the 29th of March 2017, which would mandatorily require the United Kingdom to negotiate an exit deal by April of 2019.

Why would Theresa May call for an early election?

The Conservative Party currently maintains a majority in Parliament, albeit by a small margin with only 330 of the 650 seats. Brexit has been a divisive matter in the House of Commons from the time of the referendum itself which subsequently led to David Cameron, of the Labor Party, stepping down from his position as the Prime Minister of Britain. 

Currently popularity ratings place Theresa May’s Conservative Party far ahead of the Labor Party, currently led by Jeremy Corbyn. An early election during this period of popularity can alter the distribution of seats in Westminster in favor of the Conservatives. Following upon the legislation introduced by David Cameron, there is an approval requirement of 2/3rd members of the House of Commons for an early election to be held.

What can be expected from the elections and possible Brexit negotiations?

An election held during a surge in the Tory popularity ratings might not necessarily mean a clear future for the Brexit mandate. Nicky Morgan of the Conservative Party points out that inefficient management of Brexit negotiations might weaken the party’s reputation for economic competence.  

Tories are currently in favor of the Norway-plus option that is modelled upon Norway’s’relations with the European Union wherein they have access to the single market, however, they do not have voting rights in several EU bodies.  Corbyn has maintained an ambivalent view on Brexit till now but this will not aid him in the elections coming up, he needs to choose which sides he’s on to regain the vote banks he lost in the last general election in 2015. Labor still maintains a high number of seats but to win a majority they need to rethink their parties outlook.