Dec 10, 2019
On the eve of the United Kingdom's second general election in the post-Brexit vote era, polls are tightening between Prime Minister Boris Johnson's ruling Conservative Party and Jeremy Corbyn's opposition Labour Party--leading some observers to wonder if Britain is headed to a hung Parliament.
Johnson's projected 68-seat majority in Parliament is now expected to be more than halved to 28 seats, according to new YouGov polling. While that result would maintain Tory control of the chamber, it won't make Johnson's path to delivering the U.K. out of the European Union any easier than it is now--and Johnson has beeen stymied at every turn in his efforts on Brexit.
"Take nothing for granted," tweeted British journalist and activist Ash Sarkar of the polling in a call to action for Labour organizers. "Every vote is vital."
\u201cEstimated Tory majority has HALVED since the last MRP. It's within the margin of error for a hung Parliament. And that's not taking into account ground game/youth turnout.\n\nTake nothing for granted. Every vote is vital. Go to https://t.co/1AWWRKJVSv to volunteer on election day.\u201d— Ash Sarkar (@Ash Sarkar) 1576015561
The polling coincided with a new craze sweeping the nation: banners and graffiti promoting a rejection of the Conservatives and a viral hastag, #reclaimyourfuture.
"Last night's polls have given a new boost to everyone hoping to get the #ToriesOut," tweeted Liverpool Echo political editor Liam Thorp.
\u201cLast night's polls have given a new boost to everyone hoping to get the #ToriesOut\n\nhttps://t.co/NTIuJgjH41\u201d— Liam Thorp (@Liam Thorp) 1576061187
Uncertainty around the results has shaken the British pound and had ripple effects in the London Stock exchange.
"Markets for the first time need to worry about a hung parliament and what that might mean in terms of more uncertainty over the economy and Brexit," saidMarkets.com chief market analyst Neil Wilson.
\u201cAs UK political parties enter the final few hours of campaigning before tomorrow's election, polls show Labour closing in on the Tories.\n\nBut will their policies - with a focus on economic equality and the NHS - cut through skepticism over their ability to handle Brexit?\n\n#GE2019\u201d— DW Europe (@DW Europe) 1576084833
An outright victory for Labour is seen as unlikely, though the London Aquarium's penguins chose Corbyn in an unofficial zoological poll on Wednesday.
"It was exciting to watch our penguins get involved in making a fun political prediction," said Sea Life London Aquarium executive director Graham McGrath. "We look forward to finding out if their prediction was the right one when voters go to the polls this week."
Corbyn on Wednesday asked voters to go to the polls and vote for a better future. Johnson on Wednesday hid from Piers Morgan in a fridge.
\u201cI\u2019ve not come here to hide in a fridge. I\u2019ve come here with a message of hope!\u201d— Jeremy Corbyn (@Jeremy Corbyn) 1576086056
Voters in the U.K. go to the polls Thursday from 7am to 10pm GMT.
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
On the eve of the United Kingdom's second general election in the post-Brexit vote era, polls are tightening between Prime Minister Boris Johnson's ruling Conservative Party and Jeremy Corbyn's opposition Labour Party--leading some observers to wonder if Britain is headed to a hung Parliament.
Johnson's projected 68-seat majority in Parliament is now expected to be more than halved to 28 seats, according to new YouGov polling. While that result would maintain Tory control of the chamber, it won't make Johnson's path to delivering the U.K. out of the European Union any easier than it is now--and Johnson has beeen stymied at every turn in his efforts on Brexit.
"Take nothing for granted," tweeted British journalist and activist Ash Sarkar of the polling in a call to action for Labour organizers. "Every vote is vital."
\u201cEstimated Tory majority has HALVED since the last MRP. It's within the margin of error for a hung Parliament. And that's not taking into account ground game/youth turnout.\n\nTake nothing for granted. Every vote is vital. Go to https://t.co/1AWWRKJVSv to volunteer on election day.\u201d— Ash Sarkar (@Ash Sarkar) 1576015561
The polling coincided with a new craze sweeping the nation: banners and graffiti promoting a rejection of the Conservatives and a viral hastag, #reclaimyourfuture.
"Last night's polls have given a new boost to everyone hoping to get the #ToriesOut," tweeted Liverpool Echo political editor Liam Thorp.
\u201cLast night's polls have given a new boost to everyone hoping to get the #ToriesOut\n\nhttps://t.co/NTIuJgjH41\u201d— Liam Thorp (@Liam Thorp) 1576061187
Uncertainty around the results has shaken the British pound and had ripple effects in the London Stock exchange.
"Markets for the first time need to worry about a hung parliament and what that might mean in terms of more uncertainty over the economy and Brexit," saidMarkets.com chief market analyst Neil Wilson.
\u201cAs UK political parties enter the final few hours of campaigning before tomorrow's election, polls show Labour closing in on the Tories.\n\nBut will their policies - with a focus on economic equality and the NHS - cut through skepticism over their ability to handle Brexit?\n\n#GE2019\u201d— DW Europe (@DW Europe) 1576084833
An outright victory for Labour is seen as unlikely, though the London Aquarium's penguins chose Corbyn in an unofficial zoological poll on Wednesday.
"It was exciting to watch our penguins get involved in making a fun political prediction," said Sea Life London Aquarium executive director Graham McGrath. "We look forward to finding out if their prediction was the right one when voters go to the polls this week."
Corbyn on Wednesday asked voters to go to the polls and vote for a better future. Johnson on Wednesday hid from Piers Morgan in a fridge.
\u201cI\u2019ve not come here to hide in a fridge. I\u2019ve come here with a message of hope!\u201d— Jeremy Corbyn (@Jeremy Corbyn) 1576086056
Voters in the U.K. go to the polls Thursday from 7am to 10pm GMT.
On the eve of the United Kingdom's second general election in the post-Brexit vote era, polls are tightening between Prime Minister Boris Johnson's ruling Conservative Party and Jeremy Corbyn's opposition Labour Party--leading some observers to wonder if Britain is headed to a hung Parliament.
Johnson's projected 68-seat majority in Parliament is now expected to be more than halved to 28 seats, according to new YouGov polling. While that result would maintain Tory control of the chamber, it won't make Johnson's path to delivering the U.K. out of the European Union any easier than it is now--and Johnson has beeen stymied at every turn in his efforts on Brexit.
"Take nothing for granted," tweeted British journalist and activist Ash Sarkar of the polling in a call to action for Labour organizers. "Every vote is vital."
\u201cEstimated Tory majority has HALVED since the last MRP. It's within the margin of error for a hung Parliament. And that's not taking into account ground game/youth turnout.\n\nTake nothing for granted. Every vote is vital. Go to https://t.co/1AWWRKJVSv to volunteer on election day.\u201d— Ash Sarkar (@Ash Sarkar) 1576015561
The polling coincided with a new craze sweeping the nation: banners and graffiti promoting a rejection of the Conservatives and a viral hastag, #reclaimyourfuture.
"Last night's polls have given a new boost to everyone hoping to get the #ToriesOut," tweeted Liverpool Echo political editor Liam Thorp.
\u201cLast night's polls have given a new boost to everyone hoping to get the #ToriesOut\n\nhttps://t.co/NTIuJgjH41\u201d— Liam Thorp (@Liam Thorp) 1576061187
Uncertainty around the results has shaken the British pound and had ripple effects in the London Stock exchange.
"Markets for the first time need to worry about a hung parliament and what that might mean in terms of more uncertainty over the economy and Brexit," saidMarkets.com chief market analyst Neil Wilson.
\u201cAs UK political parties enter the final few hours of campaigning before tomorrow's election, polls show Labour closing in on the Tories.\n\nBut will their policies - with a focus on economic equality and the NHS - cut through skepticism over their ability to handle Brexit?\n\n#GE2019\u201d— DW Europe (@DW Europe) 1576084833
An outright victory for Labour is seen as unlikely, though the London Aquarium's penguins chose Corbyn in an unofficial zoological poll on Wednesday.
"It was exciting to watch our penguins get involved in making a fun political prediction," said Sea Life London Aquarium executive director Graham McGrath. "We look forward to finding out if their prediction was the right one when voters go to the polls this week."
Corbyn on Wednesday asked voters to go to the polls and vote for a better future. Johnson on Wednesday hid from Piers Morgan in a fridge.
\u201cI\u2019ve not come here to hide in a fridge. I\u2019ve come here with a message of hope!\u201d— Jeremy Corbyn (@Jeremy Corbyn) 1576086056
Voters in the U.K. go to the polls Thursday from 7am to 10pm GMT.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.