2017 UK Election

Overview

The 2017 UK Election refers to a snap election called by Prime Minister Theresa May in England. Though May called the election with the confidence she would gain more support heading into Brexit negotiations, a surprising showing from the Labour Party and its leftist leader Jeremy Corbyn resulted in the loss of a Conservative absolute majority and a hung parliament.

Background

On April 19th, 2017, May called for a snap election to be held on June 8th.^[1] Though the next general election was not due to be held until 2020, May called the election with the intent of gaining more seats in Parliament than the conservative party's 330. A stronger conservative majority seemed likely as opinion polls at the time showed May with as much as a 20 point lead over her opposition. Major issues discussed in the campaign were Brexit, national security, and social care. May campaigned on generating support Brexit and lower domestic taxes while Corbyn campaigned on public spending and that services such as education were being underfunded.

Developments

Hours after May called the snap election, Corbyn, Sturdgeon of the SNP party, and Tim Farron of the Liberal Democrats all called for televised debates. May opposed any televised debates, but the BBC announced they would host debates to be held on May 31st and June 6th, whether or not May attended. Labour ruled out Corbyn attending if May did not attend, but on May 31st, Corbyn did appear at the debate, while the conservatives sent Home Secretary Amber Rudd. Meanwhile, Corbyn and the Labour Party gained significantly in the polls, cutting the Conservative Party's 20 point lead to about 6 points.

Terrorist Attacks

During the campaign, two terrorist attacks occurred in England that shifted the focus of the campaign to national security. After the 2017 Manchester Bombing, both parties ceased campaigning for three days. Labour criticized May for her cuts to the police force and her foreign policy as reasons that led to the attack. Conservatives stated that spending on counter-terrorism measures had increased. The campaigns were postponed a second time following the 2017 London Attack. After that attack, May proposed increased restriction on the internet and a global effort to tackle Islamist ideology.

Results

On June 8th, the Labour Party performed much better than most expected, gaining 29 seats for a total of 261. The Conservatives, meanwhile, lost 13 seats, and while they still had a majority, they lost their absolute majority, resulting in a hung parliament. It is expected that the Conservatives will attempt to align with the Democratic Unionist Party to form a coalition government.^[2]

Related Memes

Lord Buckethead

Lord Buckethead was a joke candidate for the Maidenhead constituency, that of Theresa May, during the election.^[3] Lord Buckethead appeared in black robes with a giant black helmet and campaigned on "strong but not entirely stable leadership," a mock at the Conservative Party's slogan, "Strong and Stable." Lord Buckethead had also run against Margaret Thatcher and John Major in 1987 and 1992, respectively. Buckethead gained 249 votes, the most he had ever received.

At May's speech in Maidenhead following the election, Lord Buckethead stood on the stage with the other candidates from the constituency, which included Elmo. The image led to jokes on Twitter.

Search Interest

External References