When May called the election in April, she did so with the Conservatives riding high in the polls, and the pound had surged on expectations that a big majority for the Conservatives would allow her to quell the so-called euroskeptics in her parliamentary ranks.
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The sides have until June 29 to secure a deal, but observers fear any concessions to the DUP by May’s Conservatives could complicate the talks, deepening the region’s political crisis. This morning, two of May’s closest advisers were forced to resign.
The writer is an assistant professor of political science at LUMS.
“To those that say the PM should step down, or that we need another election or even – God help us – a second referendum, I say come off it. Get a grip, everyone”, he says.
“A reduced parliamentary majority for the Conservative Party means that the party’s Eurosceptics are more influential”. Their core, central message was strong and stable leadership. While May has lost legitimacy as the leader of her party and may soon be ousted, Corbyn has solidified his position and is poised to lead the Labour Party in the wake of its improved electoral performance. “One can speculate about the reasons for this, but the simple truth is that Britain is a divided country: many are exhausted of austerity, many remain frustrated or angry about Brexit, and many younger people feel they lack the opportunities enjoyed by their parents’ generation”.
“I take responsibility for my part in this election campaign, which was the oversight of our policy programme”, he continued.
Ms. May’s weakness are in full display after her gamble on the Snap Election backfired spectacularly. May would face a leadership challenge unless she sacked the aides, who held enormous sway over her. From Labour? And is she likely to?
Johnson dismissed the reports as “tripe”, tweeting late on Saturday that he was backing May.
And his spokesman added: “The Foreign Secretary is 100% supporting the Prime Minister and working with her to get the best deal for Britain”. Could you tell us a little bit about the Democratic Unionists?
For one, Labour’s unexpected success, coming as it did despite tremendous opposition from the right-wing press and a Conservative campaign that attempted to put national security at the heart of the debate in the wake of terrorist attacks in Manchester and London, demonstrates the limits of the kind of toxic, chauvinistic nationalism that has become the hallmark of right-wing parties across the West.
Seven Republican Sinn Fein members who want a united Ireland were also elected on Thursday, but they do not attend or vote as the party does not recognize Westminster rule.
Defence Secretary Michael Fallon, one of May’s most loyal supporters, said he disagreed with Osborne’s description of her as a “dead woman walking” and he expected Conservative lawmakers to rally behind her. Her only hope of forming a government is to win support from Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party, which won 10 seats. We’ve only just scratched the surface here.
But, unlike during the election campaign, when she repeatedly referred to the talks starting on 19 June, she was not specific about the date, suggesting it might slip. So what happens now?
Neither the Tories or DUP is seeking a formal coalition, of the sort Britain saw in 2010 under David Cameron. We reached him via Skype.
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SCULLY: Thanks very much, Michel.
