Starmer set to be PM as Tories face worst defeat - exit poll

[Algernon Moncrieff]

Source: BBC

Labour is set to win a general election landslide with a majority of 170, according to an exit poll for the BBC, ITV and Sky.

If the forecast is accurate, Sir Keir Starmer will become prime minister with 410 Labour MPs – just short of Tony Blair's 1997 total.

The Conservatives are predicted to slump to 131 MPs, their lowest number ever.

The Liberal Democrats are projected to come third with 61 MPs.

Read more: https://bbc.com/news/articles/cd1xnzlzz99o

[yardwork]

1. What is the likely impact of the election?

I'm trying to learn more about what's going on overseas. U.S. news no longer covers it, apparently.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

3. I'll start with what it doesn't mean

The UK won't undo Brexit.

Probably means more social spending. It will be more like when Blair was PM.

[yardwork]

5. I had picked up on the part about Brexit. No easy way to undo that, apparently.

If Labour increases social spending with an economy hurt by Brexit, will they have to raise taxes? Will the voters tolerate that, or will the pendulum swing back next time?

[JI7]

9. A lot of it is also making new trade deals

and other things which had previously been done under the EU.

I was reading about how even small businesses that aren't doing anything too complicated were affected becsuse things they had done under EU rules no longer applied and this included whatever benefit they would get such as if they needed to import or export things. It's just a huge mess. It won't be as simple as just raising taxes and increasing funding in certain areas.

But the huge win will hopefully make things easier to get through once they do come up with plans.

[Justice matters.]

20. They should tax their royal 1-percenters loots hidden in their various fiscal

paradises to begin with.

[Skittles]

14. it means

like the Dems here, they have to clean up the mess left by conservatives

[JanMichael]

2. Wow. Starmer has said he will not try to undo Brexit but still awesome

[Algernon Moncrieff]

4. The costs would be too high

Starmer says it won't happen in his lifetime.

The irony is that around 50 years ago the UK was fighting to get into the common market.

[PlutosHeart]

6. I am stupid

So is this more a leftward swing from what they had? Do you think the minority party will work better with it?

[nycbos]

7. Given where Labour was in 2019...

... this is a huge turnaround. Little concerning how well Reform is doing

[Warpy]

8. Fantastic! FINALLY!

Now, UK friends, please hold Starmer's feet to the fire and make sure he doesn't become another Tony Blair.

[moondust]

10. Is Farage crying "FAKE" "RIGGED" yet?

He's a TSF puppy.

[brooklynite]

13. No, he's quite happy...

What the results don't show you is that Reform has knocked the Conservatives out of second place in a lot of the Labour pick-up districts.

[Polybius]

11. Lose France, gain England

Seems fair enough.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

17. Latest I read on France is that polling showing LePen's faction

... Won't get a majority in France's National Assembly. They will make gains but still be well short of a majority.

[brooklynite]

12. Conservatives are performing far below what the exit polls suggest...

Projected to win 154 but only at 42 so far.

[ornotna]

15. "Change begins now"

He's talking now.

[OnlinePoker]

16. I watched a little bit of the election coverage on BBC News.

I liked how they announced the results in each riding. They had all the candidates stand on stage together and someone from elections read the results. It's different than here in Canada where each candidate has their own election night headquarters and the losers concede to the winners based on what they see in the polling results from Elections Canada. No face-to-face interaction. The British method seems a more civil way to do things.

[sanduca]

18. Take notes republican congress!

Folks,
Don't listen to those pessimists or those magats.
Republican Congress has a 13% approval rate and almost 70% disapproval rate.
Also, go check those polls of 2012. Romney led in most polls.
All this negativity is another republican gig, don't fall for it.
Stay focused, we're going to win big in November.

[Aussie105]

19. And the Poms just gobble it up.

New party, new leader!

I listened to the new leader. Lots of promises, lack of solid detail in every promise.

The poor Poms are still looking for a leader who will fix all of their real and imagined problems, overnight.

NotGoingToHappen!

"A total of 57 people (54 men and three women) have served as prime minister of the UK.
The first was Sir Robert Walpole taking office on 3 April 1721."

Longest serving was Walpole at 21 years.
Shortest serving was Liz Truss, 45 days.

Dare I say it, few of the last 6 people in the job fixed the problems those who voted for them hoped they would.
Some created more problems than they solved.

Gordon Brown (2007–10)
David Cameron (2010–16)
Theresa May (2016–19)
Boris Johnson (2019–22)
Liz Truss (2022)
Rishi Sunak (2022–)

Did any of them cover themselves with glory?

But there is no lesson to be learnt from the UK election for American voters.
UK politics is based on policies and promises, the American political landscape is more a tribal & popularity contest.