British Prime Minister Theresa May Loses Snap Election Gamble

Ryan J. Farrick — June 9, 2017

British Prime Minister Theresa May walks down the steps at 10 Downing Street after losing a snap election gamble. Image courtesy of Stefan Wermuth, Reuters.

The results of a snap election called by British Prime Minister Theresa May poured in overnight.

The decision to bring Brits to the polls before 2020 was considered by many to be a gamble for the Conservative leader. Surveys and political groundwork showed May’s party performing well across the country, with opportunities to seize a number of seats in Parliament.

May had been hoping to solidify the Conservative Party’s majority, giving her leverage over opponents as the nation enters talks with the European Union on its departure.

In an upset spurred in large part by the liberal Labour Party and its Leader, Jeremy Corbyn, Conservatives saw their share of seats in Parliament plummet.

Losing 13 seats while Labour gained 30, May saw her coalition’s plurality disappear – an occurrence which will open her platform to increased criticism, as the realities of the Brexit referendum begin affecting the electorate.

Polls from April had predicted Theresa May would have the potential to massively increase the Conservative Party’s presence in Parliament, despite comments indicating the United Kingdom wouldn’t cast ballots for another several years.

Impassioned campaigning on the part of Corbyn dug into May’s efforts to entrench Conservative dominance, especially after the Prime Minister proposed cutting some universal healthcare benefits for the elderly.

Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the opposition Labour Party, ran a leftist campaign founded largely on socialist programs. Image courtesy of Niklas Hallen, AFP

Drawing comparisons to Bernie Sanders in the United States, Corbyn began his impressive round of campaigning as a still-fresh face in British politics. Prior to becoming Leader of the Labour Party in 2015, he was seen as an outsider by many – few of his colleagues saw him as little more than a fringe hopeful when he entered the running two years ago.

On Friday, Corbyn said voters had “turned their backs on the politics of austerity,” calling on Prime Minister Theresa May to resign.

“Whatever the final result, our positive campaign has changed politics for the better,” he said.

The Telegraph reports some of the longest polling lines were found outside British universities, as students queued up to vote for Corbyn’s leftist take on Labour.

The head of the Conservative Party’s opposition holds a record for frugality among members of the British Parliament – Corbyn doesn’t own a car and prefers cycling to work. He’s also fond of making jokes about his cat, simply known as “El Gato,” having ‘socialist tendencies’ because it shares its food with the other neighborhood felines.

Following the election results becoming final, May issued an apology to Conservative constituents and politicians.

“I’m sorry for all those candidates and hardworking party workers who weren’t successful,” she said.

“As I reflect on the results I will reflect on what we need to do in the future to take the party forward,” she said.