London: The UK's ruling Conservative Party on Friday won an overall majority in the general election as Prime Minister Boris Johnson's gambit to bolster his parliamentary support appeared to have paid off while the opposition Labour Party earned its worst results since 1935.
The Conservatives have gained a 74-seat majority in the House of Commons for a total of 334 (a 45-seat gain) as the right-wing party snatched traditional strongholds from dozens of Labour candidates.
"It does look as though this One-Nation Conservative government has been given a powerful new mandate to get Brexit done," a jubilant Johnson said after he was easily re-elected to his seat in Uxbridge and South Ruislip.
The Prime Minister said that his party's victory would provide a chance to respect the democratic will of the British people, to change this country for the better and to unleash the potential of the entire people of this country.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, on the other hand, appeared solemn as he announced he would not be leading the party into a future general election after leaving it at just 201 seats (a net loss of 57) - the lowest tally since 1935 when Clement Attlee, who would, later on, become premier in the aftermath of World War II, won 154 seats.
Read Also: Will not lead party in future elections: UK Labour leader Corbyn
Until now, Labour's worst results in the post-war era had been in 1983, during the apex of Margaret Thatcher's rule when it obtained 209 MPs.
"It is a very disappointing night for the party," Corbyn told supporters at his Islington North counting party. "But I want to say this... in the election campaign we put forward a manifesto of hope."
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Thank you to everyone across our great country who voted, who volunteered, who stood as candidates. We live in the greatest democracy in the world. pic.twitter.com/1MuEMXqWHq
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) December 12, 2019 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
">Thank you to everyone across our great country who voted, who volunteered, who stood as candidates. We live in the greatest democracy in the world. pic.twitter.com/1MuEMXqWHq
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) December 12, 2019Thank you to everyone across our great country who voted, who volunteered, who stood as candidates. We live in the greatest democracy in the world. pic.twitter.com/1MuEMXqWHq
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) December 12, 2019
Meanwhile, Liberal Democrats leader Jo Swinson narrowly lost her seat to the Scottish National Party (SNP) in East Dunbartonshire, a constituency she had represented for over 12-years.
"Some will be celebrating the wave of nationalism sweeping both sides of the border, and I do congratulate all those elected," Swinson said. "But let me say now, for millions of people in our country, these results will bring dread and dismay, and people are looking for hope."
The national vote share after 622 of the 650 constituencies stood at 43.3 per cent for the Conservatives (a 1.2-per cent increase compared to the June 2017 election), 32.9 per cent Labour (a 7.9-point slump), 11 per cent Liberal Democrats (+4.1), 3.9 per cent SNP (+0.9), 2.7 per cent Greens (+1.1) and 2.1 per cent for the Brexit Party.
Turnout during the election on Thursday hovered at 67 per cent of the 47.59 million registered voters who had been called to the ballot box, 1.6 per cent less than in the 2017 general election.
US President Donald Trump seemed happy with the preliminary results, tweeting, "Looking like a big win for Boris in the UK."
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Congratulations to Boris Johnson on his great WIN! Britain and the United States will now be free to strike a massive new Trade Deal after BREXIT. This deal has the potential to be far bigger and more lucrative than any deal that could be made with the E.U. Celebrate Boris!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 13, 2019 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
">Congratulations to Boris Johnson on his great WIN! Britain and the United States will now be free to strike a massive new Trade Deal after BREXIT. This deal has the potential to be far bigger and more lucrative than any deal that could be made with the E.U. Celebrate Boris!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 13, 2019Congratulations to Boris Johnson on his great WIN! Britain and the United States will now be free to strike a massive new Trade Deal after BREXIT. This deal has the potential to be far bigger and more lucrative than any deal that could be made with the E.U. Celebrate Boris!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 13, 2019
Johnson inherited a minority government from his predecessor Theresa May who lost her majority in a miscalculated decision to call a snap election in 2017 in a bid for a mandate to proceed with Brexit.
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Looking like a big win for Boris in the U.K.!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 13, 2019 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
">Looking like a big win for Boris in the U.K.!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 13, 2019Looking like a big win for Boris in the U.K.!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 13, 2019
She stepped down earlier this year after the lower chamber of lawmaking rejected her Brexit withdrawal deal three times.
With a comfortable majority, Johnson should have little issue pushing the withdrawal deal through finalizing the terms of the divorce with the European Union before starting the process of negotiating a new trade deal with the European bloc.
Read Also: UK exit poll shows Boris Johnson's Conservative Party heading for clear majority
