UK political maps have undergone substantial revision.
After 14 years in power, Keir Starmer’s Labour has successfully dislodged their longtime foe – losing to both Liberal Democrats and right-wing Reform UK with devastating loss rates for each. It seems more a punishment vote than an endorsement for Starmer!
The Conservatives, Britain’s dominant political force for 40 years, suffered their worst ever electoral results by dropping 250 seats and only remaining with 121 out of their original 650 MPs (there may still be outstanding results).
By moving closer to the centre, Labour has amassed 412 seats – an improvement of 211 over their 2019 results which had been their worst performance since 1935 under former leader Jeremy Corbyn and left them on the brink of collapse. This remarkable turnaround can only be described as miraculous!
The Conservatives have been crippled by a combination of events – some self-induced and some outside their control – which contributed to their demise. A cost of living crisis, pandemic and Brexit (without tangible improvements for our nation), Boris Johnson’s behavior, Liz Truss’ missteps, an inability to stem illegal migration as well as multiple gaffes by current Conservative leader Rishi Sunak are just a few factors responsible.
Many top Tories of recent years have lost seats remarkably overnight, such as former Prime Minister Truss, an outspoken supporter of Donald Trump. She became the first former PM in over one hundred years to see their seat flip, leading to an incredible 26% swing towards Labour — the greatest such swing ever recorded for any UK seat! Consequently, Truss’ brief but catastrophic time as leader left permanent scarring on Tory support that never fully recovered after she left office.
Truss was just one of a number of former Cabinet ministers to lose their seats this election cycle; Defence Secretary Grant Shapps, Commons leader Penny Mordaunt and Justice Secretary Alex Chalk all were kicked out, along with Sir Jacob-Rees Mogg who staunchly championed Brexit before losing his own.
Subtleties abound beneath the headlines that can often paint an incomplete and confusing picture of reality.
At present, Britain faces an unpredictable political environment: We now have had four prime ministers within two years; Labour won major seat gains but didn’t gain more votes compared to 2019. Instead, Conservative vote share shrank considerably due to competition from Liberal Democrats and Reform UK (led by Trump ally Nigel Farage of Brexit fame and anti-immigrant rhetoric), respectively; whilst Labour ran an expertly constructed campaign designed to work the system.
Though most of Europe trended rightward, Britain appears to have taken an opposite path at first glance. Yet beneath the surface, rightwing views have actually surged: Nigel Farage attracted over four million voters for his rightwing agenda — an astounding figure which only translated to four MPs elected through that route. Reform received 14% of the popular vote – third largest among parties. Reform’s performance at this election should not be underestimated; UKIP fared similarly a decade ago in terms of popular vote share. Reform’s presence and message from its voters will undoubtedly have an enormous effect on future conservative party shape and Labour direction, including whether either one seeks to accept Reform agenda and voters; either move could further alter UK politics landscape.
Labour and Reform victories also signaled an intriguing dynamic between Britain and its allies, such as Trump. Farage won, while Starmer did not. Trump quickly celebrated Farage but overlooked Starmer due to his history on the left; with Reform’s ascension coming alongside Donald Trump’s support and France’s National Rally party led by Marine Le Pen.
Another contentious issue which has divided voters is Israel-Gaza conflict. A number of Labour candidates lost seats or saw their majorities diminish due to pro-Palestine independent candidates outraged at Labour’s perceived soft approach towards Israel’s war in Gaza.
As evidence of further fracture, Wednesday saw significant losses for Scotland’s SNP party along with gains for the left-leaning Green Party and progressive organizations like Greenpeace.
Labour will inherit many of the same national issues caused by or beleaguering Conservative party government: rising costs of living, weak public services, inflation and illegal immigration to name just some. Although their mandate for change may be strong today, actualizing change could take more time and patience.
After years of intense culture wars, Britain’s film and TV industries can finally relax after our analysis of industry priorities from the newly elected Labour government. Stay tuned soon.
