GENOA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th December, 2019) Poor performance of the Labour party at the UK general election on December 12 is a result of the party's failure to implement its Brexit promises and to meet expectations of "leave" voters, Lord Peter Lilley, a Conservative life peer, told Sputnik.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservative Party won 365 of the 650 seats in the House of Commons. This victory will allow Johnson to proceed with his plan to withdraw the UK from the European Union by January 31 � he is hoping to present his withdrawal deal to the House of Commons before Christmas. Meanwhile, Labour lost 59 seats and secured only 203. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn called the results "very disappointing" and said he would not lead the party into the next election.
"Labour did so badly primarily because last time they promised to implement Brexit and then did all in their power to thwart it � so Labour 'leave' voters felt betrayed. In addition, working class voters sensed that the metropolitan liberal elite despise them, and they realized that Corbyn always sides with opponents of his own country," Lilley said.
Apart from the Conservatives' success, another remarkable result at this election was demonstrated by the Scottish National Party. It won a landslide victory in Scotland, securing 48 seats out of Scotland's 59 Westminster Constituencies, with 45 percent of votes.
The party's leader Nicola Sturgeon said she would ask for Westminster's authorization for a new referendum on independence. However, Lilley is doubtful that Jonhson will allow it.
"There will not be a second Scottish Referendum because Boris will not allow it (both UK and Scottish governments have to agree to hold one) � also 55 percent of Scottish voters voted for parties which support the Union," Lilley said.
On Friday, Johnson's spokesman said that London's position on a second referendum on Scottish independence had not changed, and the government believed that in a 2014 referendum the region's population clearly spoke out in favor of remaining part of the United Kingdom.
At the same time, Scotland opposed Brexit in a 2016 referendum on EU membership, although Leave option won across the entire country.
