“Get Brexit Done”- Three Simple Words that Propelled Boris’ Victory

“Get Brexit done,” are three simple yet powerful words that resonated with millions of people.  They propelled Boris to outstanding victory and a new term with a comfortable majority.

The U.K. public was frustrated with the endless arguing over the results of the 2016 E.U. referendum.

The Conservative took advantage of the frustration by endlessly repeating the slogan “get Brexit done” to the masses.

The Conservative Party has 365 Members of Parliament and an 80-seat majority over other parties combined when the new U.K. Parliament resumes.

Meanwhile, Labour Party will occupy only 203 seats in the 650-strong Parliament- its worst since 1935.

A Brexit Election

The Conservative party’s message aligned to the strategy that sought votes from millions of leave voters in the 2016 referendum. It meant going beyond the Tory heartland of southern England to smash Labour Party’s strongholds of Wales and England’s midlands and north.

The Tories’ had a clear and straightforward message. On the other hand, the Labour’s message failed to have a strong impact.

The opposition party had initial success by refusing to commit to whether it supported Brexit or not, but ultimately voters got tired of the indecision.

The Labour party leader Corbyn eventually said he would negotiate a new deal and hold a second referendum, but declined to declare who he would support.

Voters interpreted it as a weak stance, and on Thursday, his strongholds crumbled.

Cost of Corbyn

Many viewed Corbyn as a Marxist who would ruin the U.K. economy with plans to nationalize key industries.

Others felt his political history showed improper sympathies with anti-Israeli groups and pro-IRA supporters in Ireland. It led to concerns over weakness on national security.

Corbyn tried to shift the U.K. election campaign away from the constitutional question of Brexit onto domestic matters like the education and National Health Service.

In his manifesto, Corbyn included a proposal to provide free internet and increase spending on healthcare and education. However, he failed to convince the masses when his opponents decried it as being too expensive.

The Labour Party has not won any election since 2005. Only Tony Blair has won an election in more than 40 years.

Corbyn has now announced he will step down. Thus, the battle for control of the Labour Party’s leadership and party direction will begin again.

A Divided Kingdom

The voting patterns in England and Wales do not translate to the two other constituents of the UK-Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The Scottish National Party (NSP) now hold 48 of the available 59 seats north of the border. After the 2016 referendum, the SNP campaigned had against the Brexit. Only one-third of the Scotts wanted to leave the E.U.

Nicola Sturgeon, SNP’s leader, aid that the general election results reflected the desire in Scotland to choose its own destiny within Europe and the U.K.

Nicola may put pressure on Boris to accede to a fresh vote on Scottish independence. He may resit, leading to hostility between governments in Edinburgh and London.

Despite the SNP’s gains, Whiteley said the prospect of a second referendum now looks more remote. This is because the Conservative party won’t allow another vote.

Northern Ireland was central to the Brexit debate as lawmakers wrestled with how to maintain frictionless trade across the U.K. border with sits on the island of Ireland.

After Thursday’s vote, and for the first time, nationalist parties now hold more seats than the unionist parties.

Irish unity will come to the fore as one poll in September showed a slight majority for Irish unification among people in Northern Ireland.

Whiteley claimed that while demographics were moving in the direction of Irish unity, many supporters want to wait for fear that rushing the process could herald a return to violence in Ireland.