UK General Election: A conservative setback rather than a labour triumph

Dipak Kurmi

(The writer can be reached at dipakkurmiglpltd@gmail.com)

The UK general election results indicate a clear setback for the Conservative Party rather than a decisive win for the Labour Party. The electorate’s dissatisfaction with the current government was evident, but there was no strong surge of support for Labour either.

The massive Labour majority in the recent UK election was driven by a protest vote against the Conservative government. This election saw one of the lowest voter turnouts in UK history. Many traditional Conservative supporters either stayed home or opted for the more extreme right-wing Reform UK party. This led to a crushing defeat for the Tories, with even former Prime Minister Liz Truss and numerous ministers facing humiliating losses.

Labour’s lackluster support stemmed from widespread distrust in party leader Keir Starmer, who was seen as unreliable due to his frequent policy reversals on issues such as the green transition, taxing billionaires, workers’ rights, child benefits, and the welfare system. Instead of presenting clear proposals, Starmer chose to embrace ambiguous politics, promising change without detailing specific plans. This approach was based on his belief that voters were dissatisfied with the Conservative Party’s rule, yet he failed to provide solid alternatives.

The Liberal Democrats also gained from the discontent with the Tories. As the primary challengers to the Conservatives in regions like South West England, they secured 71 seats in Parliament, marking their best electoral performance since 1923. This positioned them as the third-largest party, following the Conservatives and Labour.

The Green Party has experienced remarkable success. After over a decade of holding just one seat, they broke through this time, winning all four of their targeted seats by wide margins. The party contested 574 seats across England and Wales to promote its vision and programme, even in areas lacking a strong party structure. They also finished second in a significant number of races, hinting at the potential for further growth. The Green Party’s rising influence signals an increasing awareness, especially among younger and university-educated voters, of the need for green economic policies to prevent a climate crisis. With nearly 8 percent of the national vote, the party’s representation and influence in Parliament and policymaking would significantly increase under a proportional representation system.

The push to move from the flawed first-past-the-post election system to proportional representation is strongly backed by the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party. The Labour Party conference has also officially approved a resolution in support of proportional representation, but it remains to be seen if the new government will pursue this electoral reform. The UK is the only European country without any element of proportional representation in its election system. Unfortunately, this first-past-the-post approach has influenced its former colonies, including several South Asian countries.

Over the past five years, the Conservative government’s market-oriented governance has led to significant mismanagement of the economy, resulting in the deterioration of public services like the National Health Service, schools, social care, sewerage, and public transport, particularly the railways. This mismanagement was most evident during Liz Truss’s short stint as Prime Minister. Her aggressive tax-cutting policies, funded by debt, unsettled the markets and triggered a rise in inflation, which, in turn, led to increased interest and mortgage rates. The rise in mortgage rates, along with skyrocketing food prices due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, significantly raised the cost of living for many people.

Rishi Sunak and his Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, had limited time to repair the economic damage caused by Liz Truss’s mismanagement. Despite this, they showed some economic skill, which contributed to their victories in their constituencies, even as many of their Conservative colleagues faced defeat. However, their focus on catering to wealthier segments of the population led them to implement policies that reduced welfare spending, which ultimately eroded their political support.

The UK consists of four distinct regions, or nations: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Each of these regions has its unique political culture and complexities. England is the largest among them.

In Scotland, the Scottish National Party (SNP), which advocates for independence from the UK, suffered a significant defeat despite ongoing support for independence. Voters turned away from the SNP due to the party’s financial mismanagement and instead chose Labour candidates for the first time in many years, aiming both to penalize the SNP and to oust the Conservatives.

In Wales, the Conservative Party failed to secure any seats in the recent election. Plaid Cymru, which supports Welsh independence, saw an increase in both seats and voter support, despite Labour securing a majority.

In Northern Ireland, Sinn Féin, advocating for a united Ireland, became the largest party for the first time, with no representation from any of the main parties based in England.

The upcoming Labour government under Starmer confronts a range of challenges. These include revitalizing the economy to enhance public services, navigating immigration issues amid the emergence of anti-immigrant sentiments promoted by Reform UK, decentralizing power to address calls for independence in non-English regions, contributing to easing tensions in Ukraine and Gaza, and addressing the growing impacts of climate change.