No UK ‘snap’ election September 9, 2016
Posted by WorldbyStorm in Uncategorized.trackback
Clever of May to rule out a ‘snap’ UK election at the weekend. That neatly pulls her away from the trap her second but last predecessor found himself in when prevaricating about that option led to the media being able to claim he had ‘bottled’ it.
Theresa May has insisted in her first major interview since taking office that there will be no snap general election before 2020. The prime minister told The Andrew Marr Show the country needed a period of stability after the shockwaves of the pro-Brexit vote, and that the UK should be prepared for “difficult times” ahead, despite better-than-expected economic indicators.
Pressed on whether she was tempted to call a snap election, with polls showing she could increase her majority of just 17 to 130 seats, May said: “I’m not going to be calling a snap election. I’ve been very clear that I think we need that period of time, that stability, to be able to deal with the issues that the country is facing and have that election in 2020.”
But, it has other implications too. It suggests that her reading is that the LP is likely to be even further weakened, for why else delay the inevitable? Now that doesn’t mean a spilt, but clearly she is convinced she can take the risk of having the election further down the line. Again, as this blog has been arguing for months, this is near inevitable. A Corbyn victory has never been assured, the project of shifting the LP leftwards, even somewhat leftwards, is going to take some years. But it does suggest the scale of the challenge ahead.
The Cedar Lounge Revolution 
counterfactual here, but supposing the result had been the opposite in the referendum? Would Cameron be as popular?
I’m guessing not, that the tories would be in trouble because of the disaffected 48% leavers. However, I expect this to change, but the leavers are going to become self- conscious as a group
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With such a slim majority how’s she going to cope with cross-party opposition to re-introducing grammar schools? which wasn’t even in the Tory manifesto!!
Unless it’s just another smoke and mirrors operation – to whip up a frenzy of public opinion while something else goes down under the radar of public opinion
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The parts about Labour in that article are much more entertaining than the Brexit bits. Reg Race (former MP) is a Beano-worthy villian name.
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The Tories got very lucky in the last GE with the aid of the UKIP voters in marginals.
Not sure there’s any deal the Tories can make with the EU that doesn’t lose them this chunk of voters. And giving Corbyn four years to deal with party dissent is very generous. If they are doing it from a position of strength that is. If.
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Where will remain Tories go? There are some, though perhaps not as many in the electorate as in parliament. Lib Dems?
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I thought Cameron had had legislation passed that mandated a fixed parliamentary term, so May couldn’t call a snap election before this term is up anyway? Unless she changed the law again?
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