UK General Election 2019

UK General Election 2019: What Does It All Mean? – Written by Alex Howe

 

As of the 12th of December 2019, the UK re-elected the Conservative Party led by Boris Johnson, into government. They achieved a total of 365 seats- a majority of 80 seats and an increase on their 318 seats won in the 2017 General Election. This resulted in devastating losses for the Labour Party who won only 203 seats, a huge decrease on their 262-seat result in 2017.

 

Although a Conservative government was almost certain, what wasn't certain was the fate of individual MPs and constituencies across the UK. Jo Swinson in particular may have been hoping for a different fate as the Liberal Democrats managed to achieve 11 seats, a decrease of 1 from 2017, which also resulted in the loss of her Scottish constituency of East Dunbartonshire, and, her leadership of the party. Similarly, after Labour suffered one of the worst elections in living memory, Jeremy Corbyn, despite retaining his seat in Islington North, has announced that he won't be leading the Labour party into the next general election and will resign next year, thrusting his party into political uncertainty.

 

It is clear that many parties suffered a host of catastrophic changes, but what does this all mean for us, the people? A Tory majority will almost definitely see Brexit legislation pushed through and our exit from the EU begin to materialise. Additionally, in terms of education, Johnson has promised to increase school spending by £7.1b by 2022-23 and increase teachers' overall and starting salaries. Similarly, in regard to the NHS, Conservatives pledged £33.9b extra funding a year, 50million extra GP appointments a year and 50,000 more nurses. The privatisation of the NHS has also been a major concern, with Labour habitually accusing Johnson of orchestrating this behind closed doors with the US. Although this has not been officially confirmed, we know that our economic ties with the US will certainly strengthen- confirmed by Trump tweeting that both countries will now be able to 'strike a massive new Trade Deal after BREXIT'. However, what this trade deal would entail exactly is largely unknown.

 

Now, whether you love them or loathe them, the Conservatives managed to achieve their most successful general election campaign since the 80s, removing the previously unworkable divide within the House of Commons. But at what price? An even bigger divide between classes, races and religions? With complex issues such as Brexit and an under-funded NHS, it's hard to calculate what the fallout and most importantly, the future, of our country will look like.

 

To view some interesting statistics about how the differences in people make them statistically more likely to vote for different parties, visit https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/articles-reports/2019/10/31/2019-general-election-demographics-dividing-britai