Global Economic ViewPoint - Implications of the U.K. Election Result June 2017
The post mortem on the U.K.’s General Election is now well underway. The Conservative Party, led by Prime Minister Theresa May, was widely expected to increase its majority. Instead, it lost seats and only remains in control of the government with the support of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), from Northern Ireland, with only 10 Members of Parliament.
Several explanations have been advanced in the wake of this result. A poor campaign and policy U-turns on the part of the Conservatives along with public dissatisfaction with the ‘hard Brexit’ that they had been pursuing whilst in government. A high turnout amongst younger voters who tend to be favour E.U. membership and are inclined to vote for the left-leaning Labour Party which promised, amongst other things, the abolition of fees paid to study at university.