Boris Johnson Wins Big As Tories Gain Huge Commons Majority To 'Get Brexit Done'

Boris Johnson Wins Big as Tories Gain Huge Commons Majority to 'Get Brexit Done'

Boris Johnson took a risk by pushing parliament to call a snap election, and the Conservative Party leader's gamble has paid off, as the Tories raced to their best election result since the days of Margaret Thatcher, gaining a comprehensive majority in the House of Commons which will give Johnson the power to finally, as he constantly reiterated during the election campaign, "get Brexit done."

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th December, 2019) Boris Johnson took a risk by pushing parliament to call a snap election, and the Conservative Party leader's gamble has paid off, as the Tories raced to their best election result since the days of Margaret Thatcher, gaining a comprehensive majority in the House of Commons which will give Johnson the power to finally, as he constantly reiterated during the election campaign, "get Brexit done."

"We did it. We pulled it off didn't we? We broke the deadlock, we ended the gridlock, we smashed the roadblock," the prime minister said during a victory rally held in central London in the early hours of Friday morning once the Conservatives' victory was confirmed.

After months of frustration as prime minister of a minority government, Johnson will have the backing of at least 364 Conservative members of parliament, with one constituency still left to declare their results.

Johnson has complained that Brexit, and the previous delays and rejection of his withdrawal agreement, has held up progress in other key areas of concern, such as the National Health Service (NHS) and the United Kingdom's housing crisis. Now with a Commons mandate to get a Brexit deal completed by January 31, the prime minister will look to consolidate the Conservatives' election gains during a term that could last until 2024.

TORIES SMASH ENGLAND'S "RED WALL"

In terms of vote share, the Conservative gains are more modest compared to the significant increase in seats in the Commons. The Conservative Party only increased their overall number of votes by 1.2 percent compared to the previous general election, but the spread of these votes resulted in the Tories increasing their number of seats in the Commons by 22 percent.

With one constituency still to declare their results, the Conservative Party holds 364 of 650 seats in the Commons, giving the party a solid majority. On the other hand, the Labour Party lost 42 seats, as their share of the popular vote declined dramatically, falling by 7.8 percent compared to the 2017 election.

Before voters went to the ballot box, a YouGov poll revealed that Jeremy Corbyn's Brexit policy was not winning favor with long-time Labour voters who were also pro-Brexit. Labour's manifesto outlined that the party would seek to renegotiate the Brexit withdrawal agreement before putting it to a second referendum. According to the poll, published on December 4, just 21 percent of Labour Leavers said they could support Corbyn's policy.

This had devastating results in many Constituencies in the Midlands and the north of England. This area often has often been called the "red wall" because many constituencies voted for Labour over the course of many decades. However, many of these constituencies also voted to leave the EU in the 2016 referendum.

This appears to have been a tipping vote for many northern voters, and a number of constituencies, such as Blyth Valley in the far north-east of England, voted Conservative for the first time ever in this year's general election, as voters dumped Labour after decades of support. In the 2016 Brexit referendum, 60.49 percent of Blyth Valley voters wished to leave the EU.

Labour were defeated in a number of other heartland seats, such as Dudley North, Bassetlaw and Great Grimsby, that all recorded major swings from Labour to the Tories. Johnson was able to galvanize many areas of England behind his message of getting Brexit done, which handed the Labour Party its worst election day result since 1935.

Despite some pollsters predicting a potential late Labour surge, the Conservative victory looked almost secure once the exit poll, released at 22:00 GMT, predicted that the Tories would win 368 seats. The exit poll turned out to be close to the mark.

On Wednesday, YouGov predicted in their second MRP poll that the Conservative majority could be as slim as 28 seats. This would have indicated a late Labour surge, as the previous week's MRP poll gave the Tories a 68-seat majority. MRP polls often consult over 100,000 people, and are conducted by mapping voting intention onto constituencies.

In addition to Corbyn's poor polling over his Brexit policy, the Labour leader's approval ratings also languished behind those of Boris Johnson. It could be said that UK voters chose the lesser of two evils, as only 36 percent of people believed that Boris Johnson was a good leader in a YouGov poll published on December 4. However, Corbyn's personal approval ratings were much worse, as just 16 percent of respondents thought that the Labour head was a good leader.

Elsewhere, the Liberal Democrats lost ten seats in the election, including that of party leader Jo Swinson, despite a significant increase in their overall number of votes. The LibDems campaign focused on the revocation of Article 50, but Swinson was defeated by the Scottish National Party (SNP) candidate in her constituency.

The SNP once more consolidated their gains in Scotland. Nicola Sturgeon's party won an additional 13 seats in parliament, and now holds over 80 percent of Scottish constituencies.

The Brexit Party failed to win any seats in the Commons, despite their strong showing at the European Parliament elections in May. Prior to the election, party leader Nigel Farage announced that Brexit Party candidates would be withdrawing from certain marginal seats, in order to maximize the chances of the pro-Brexit Conservative Party.

Leading Conservative politicians were in triumphant mood at a rally in central London in the early hours of Friday morning. The prime minister gave a rallying speech behind a lectern emblazoned with the slogan "The People's Government," setting out his plans for the upcoming term, including the most pressing topic in the United Kingdom - Brexit.

"This election means that getting Brexit done is the irrefutable, irresistible, unarguable decision of the British people. And with this election I think we put an end to all those miserable threats of a second referendum," Johnson told supporters.

Repeating the same rhetoric that campaigners used during the 2016 referendum, Johnson promised that that the United Kingdom will take back control of its borders, laws, money, trade and immigration system, by leaving the European Union as "one United Kingdom."

The prime minister also took the time to recognize voters from the "red wall" constituencies that switched from Labour to the Conservatives, in a bid to ensure the UK's exit from the EU.

"You may intend to return to Labour next time round. And if that is the case, I am humbled that you have put your trust in me and you have put your trust in us, and I and we will never take your support for granted. I will make it my mission to work night and day flat out to prove you right in voting for me this time, and to earn your support in the future," Johnson remarked.

Conservative lawmaker and cabinet minister Michael Gove went on the offensive against Corbyn in his speech at the Conservative victory rally.

"Friends, today we celebrate a victory. A victory for the British people. Our fellow citizens reminded us why this is such a wonderful country, because they comprehensively rejected Jeremy Corbyn's politics of division, extremism and anti-Semitism," Gove remarked.

Even Boris Johnson could not go through his speech without a dig at the defeated Labour leader.

"You, the people of this country voted to be carbon-neutral in this election, you voted to be carbon-neutral by 2050, and we'll do it! You also voted to be Corbyn-neutral by Christmas by the way, and we'll do that too," Johnson quipped.

Across London, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn managed to retain his seat in Islington North by a landslide, but this was not enough to claim victory in hundreds of other constituencies across the country. During his acceptance speech after hearing the polling results in Islington North, Corbyn had already resigned to Labour's heavy defeat.

"This is obviously a very disappointing night for the Labour Party with the result that we've got. But I want to say this, in the election campaign we put forward a manifesto of hope, a manifesto of unity and a manifesto that would help to right the wrongs and the injustices and inequalities that exist in this country," Corbyn said.

The Labour leader made strong statements against both the media coverage that has surrounded the election, as well as a warning to voters that there were still major issues to sort out in the United Kingdom once Brexit has been completed.

"The media intrusion on people's lives is very high indeed and the attacks that take place against family and loved ones of politicians continue and they are disgraceful and frankly they are disgusting," the Labour leader said. Corbyn has frequently been portrayed as a terrorist sympathizer in the UK's tabloid press.

In accounting for his defeat, Corbyn appeared to insinuate that Labour lost the election due to the party's Brexit policy, which changed multiple times since the 2016 referendum.

"Brexit has so polarized and divided debate within this country, it has overridden so much of our normal political debate. And I recognize that has contributed to the results the Labour party has received this evening all across this country. The issues of social justice and the issues of the needs of people will not go away, just because Brexit is dealt with in the way in which Boris Johnson presumably plans to deal with it at the moment," Corbyn said.

At the end of his speech, Corbyn also admitted that he would be standing down as the head of the Labour Party, once a new candidate has been selected. Corbyn was elected as Labour leader in 2015, and has suffered two general election defeats.

Labour chairman Ian Lavery shared Corbyn's disappointment in the election defeat, noting that it was a "desperately bad night" for the party.

Others went further. Caroline Flint served as the member of parliament for Don Valley since 1997 but lost her seat to the Tories on Thursday. In a televised speech shown by the Sky news broadcaster, Flint launched into criticism of the party leader.

"What is the point of the Labour party if we don't respect and represent those voices. People we have not listened to or respected enough. It is self-evident in Doncaster and across the country that many long-standing Labour voters rejected our candidate for prime minister and the politics that surround him," the defeated member of parliament said.

Prior to the election, the Labour Party was accused of anti-Semitic conduct, and Corbyn was highly criticized for what many believed to be his failure to act accordingly. Before Thursday's vote, Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz, publicly stated that he hoped Labour would lose in the election, due to these accusations. The Equality and Human Rights Commission is currently investigating allegations of anti-Semitic conduct by party members.

According to media reports, both Keir Starmer and Jess Phillips are among contenders to be the next Labour Party leader, with the party requiring a significant refocus in order to reclaim the seats lost to the Conservative Party.

LIBDEM LEADER DEFEATED, SNP PUSHES FOR INDEPENDENCE

The Liberal Democrats, who campaigned to revoke Article 50, suffered a great humiliation as party leader Jo Swinson lost her seat in East Dunbartonshire to the SNP.

"Tonight's result is obviously hugely disappointing, in East Dunbartonshire, and across the whole country with Boris Johnson winning a majority," Swinson said, as quoted by Sky News.

The Liberal Democrats managed to regain some of their voter base that was decimated following their ill-fated coalition with the Conservative Party after the 2010 election, as their overall vote share increased by 4.1 percent compared to the 2017 election. However, after losing her seat, Swinson has since stood down as the head of the party.

The SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon could be seen visibly celebrating before a live appearance on the Sky News broadcaster after hearing that Amy Callaghan, the SNP's candidate in East Dunbartonshire, had defeated the Liberal Democrat leader.

Sturgeon's party continues to hold a firm grip on Scottish politics. The SNP now holds over 80 percent of Scottish seats, and will begin campaigning for a second referendum in order to prevent Scotland's exit from the EU, along with the rest of the United Kingdom.

"I accept as the results look to be stacking up elsewhere in the UK that and I say this reluctantly and I hugely regret this, that Boris Johnson has a mandate to take England out of the European Union. But he emphatically does not have a mandate to take Scotland out of the European Union, and if he's going to claim a mandate for Brexit than he cannot deny the mandate that the SNP has to offer people in Scotland the choice of something different," Sturgeon said during a televised appearance on the STV broadcaster.

Scotland voted overwhelmingly to remain in the EU in the 2016 referendum, and support for Scottish independence appears to be rising, according to a poll published in The Courier newspaper this week.

In Northern Ireland, once again the votes were predominantly shared between the Democratic Unionist Party, who originally formed a coalition with the Conservatives after the 2017 general election, and Sinn Fein, who do not take their seats in the Commons. Plaid Cymru won four seats in Wales, while Green Party leader Caroline Lucas held on to her Brighton Pavilion seat.

The Brexit Party, led by Nigel Farage, failed to win any seats, but the prominent euroskeptic claimed that his decision to withdraw candidates from a number of seats was an integral part of galvanizing support for the Conservatives.

"This victory for Boris was hugely helped by us and is far better than the Marxist Corbyn and a second referendum," Farage said in a Tweet.

During his victory speech in London, Boris Johnson noted that now was the time to get Brexit done, although there were more pressing matters at hand first.

"Let's get Brexit done, but first, let's get breakfast done," the prime minister joked early on Friday morning.

The Conservative leader has already shown his cards to the UK voters. The Tories will now seek to get the Brexit withdrawal agreement in the House of Commons before Christmas, and with a hefty majority in parliament, the bill should get passed. Johnson has circled January 31 on the Calendar as the date that the UK will finally leave the European Union after three years of Brexit insecurity.

"We will get Brexit done on time, by January 31, no ifs, not buts, no maybes," the prime minister said.

However, the United Kingdom is as divided as it has ever been. Boris Johnson may claim that he has a solid mandate for getting Brexit done, but despite Tory dominance in the Commons, a majority of UK citizens voted for political parties whose manifesto included calls for either a second referendum or a stop to Brexit entirely.

"No Boris Johnson, you do *not* have a "powerful people's mandate" for your miserable Brexit deal A majority of people voted for parties which opposed that deal and were pledging to put it back to the people in a second referendum," Green Party leader Caroline Lucas wrote on Twitter on Friday morning.

According to the polling data, the Conservative Party, DUP, Brexit Party and the UK Independence Party, the four political parties whose manifesto rested on calls for getting Brexit completed without a second referendum, received 48 percent of the vote. Pro-remain or parties calling for a second referendum received 52 percent of the vote.

Long negotiations lie ahead for Johnson and the Conservative Party in order to secure a withdrawal agreement by January 31 and a trade deal by the end of 2020. In Brussels, at a two-day European Council summit, European leaders expressed their desire to proceed with negotiations with Brexit now all but certain.

"Regarding Brexit, it's not my intention to predict based on the experience of the past but I hope that we will be able to work very hard with the British government [to ensure security and stability for UK citizens and companies]," European Council President Charles Michel told reporters.

Ursula von der Leyen, the new European Commission president, also expressed her desire for the conclusion of a trade deal with the United Kingdom that will ensure no tariffs.

"We aim at zero tariffs, zero quotas and zero dumping," von der Leyen said at a press conference.

JOHNSON LOOKS AHEAD, PROMISES HEALTH SERVICE, POLICE INVESTMENT

In his victory speech, Johnson called on uniting the United Kingdom, and for spreading opportunity and investment to all corners of the country.

The Conservative leader has promised to boost spending to tackle a number of key policy areas, such as the National Health Service and policing, both of which have suffered cuts during nine years of Tory government. Johnson called investing in the NHS his number one priority.

"This one-nation Conservative government will massively increase our investment in the NHS, the health service that represents the very best of our country with the single beautiful idea that whoever we are, rich, poor, young, old, the NHS is there for us when we are sick, and every day that service performs miracles," Johnson remarked, promising to bolster the numbers of nurses and hospitals in the United Kingdom.

According to a forthcoming study, seen by The Guardian on Tuesday, nearly 5,500 people have died at NHS hospitals due to emergency room wait times of over six hours between 2016 and 2019. The prime minister was left visibly flustered on Monday when confronted by an ITV journalist bearing an image on his phone of a four year-old boy asleep on the floor in Leeds General Infirmary. The child, named Jack Williment-Barr, had been brought into hospital by his mother after falling ill in over what was initially feared to be a case of pneumonia.

The Conservative leader has also promised to increase the number of police officers on the streets of the United Kingdom, as well as dish out tougher prison sentences, particularly after the recent terrorist attack on London Bridge.

On November 29, Usman Khan stabbed Jack Merritt, 25, and Saskia Jones, 23, on London Bridge. Both victims later died from their injuries, while the attacker was shot dead by police. Johnson used this event to call for tougher sentences for terror offenses after it was revealed that the attacker, Usman Khan, was previously convicted on terror charges and was released from prison early.

Boris Johnson has reached the pinnacle of his political career. The former mayor of London, who also served as foreign minister, is now prime minister and he has led the Conservative Party to its largest parliamentary majority in over 30 years.

"In winning this election we have won votes and the trust of people that have never voted Conservative before and people who have always voted for other parties. Those people want change, we cannot, and we must not, must not let them down," Johnson said.

His policies are clear, and he has the advantage in the House of Commons to achieve his aims. The prime minister can now "get Brexit done," at least on the domestic front. Long negotiations lie ahead for United Kingdom with the EU and other foreign partners in order to rewrite a copious number of trade deals and legal agreements. As Johnson seeks to unite a divided country, Labour will look to rebuild itself into a credible, electable party. Brexit might get done, but uncertainty still remains in the UK.