Einar H. Dyvik
Research expert covering Nordics and global data for society, economy, and politics
UK General Election 2019 - Statistics & Facts
Boris Johnson and his Conservative party were the clear winners of the United Kingdom general election, held on December 12, 2019, winning 365 of the 650 seats in the House of Commons. The Conservative's majority in parliament stands at 80, meaning that is will be much easier for Boris Johnson to get his Brexit deal approved, and that the UK will leave the European Union at the end of January 2020.
Not another election?
The previous general election held in June 2017 returned a Conservative minority government, forcing the then Prime Minister, Theresa May, into an electoral pact with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). This pact allowed the Conservative party to govern but left them in a much weaker position within the UK’s House of Commons. May’s Brexit strategy was severely compromised as a result, with MPs rejecting her Brexit deal three times in early 2019, forcing her to delay the Brexit, and to resign as Prime Minister. The successor to May, Boris Johnson, managed to get preliminary approval for his deal, but not for his preferred timeline. As a result, Brexit was delayed once again, to January 31, 2020, giving the UK a chance to break the current deadlock through an election.
The main issues
Brexit has dominated the British political landscape since 2016 and was probably the main issue for many voters when deciding who to vote for. The Conservative Party aimed to leave the EU with Boris Johnson’s deal, while the Labour Party intended to strike a different deal, and to put that to a public vote. Other parties such as the Liberal Democrats and SNP sought to remain in the EU, while the Brexit Party simply wanted to leave the EU without a deal. Both Labour and the Conservative announced bold public spending plans in areas such as healthcare and the police force after almost a decade of austerity.
Not another election?
The previous general election held in June 2017 returned a Conservative minority government, forcing the then Prime Minister, Theresa May, into an electoral pact with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). This pact allowed the Conservative party to govern but left them in a much weaker position within the UK’s House of Commons. May’s Brexit strategy was severely compromised as a result, with MPs rejecting her Brexit deal three times in early 2019, forcing her to delay the Brexit, and to resign as Prime Minister. The successor to May, Boris Johnson, managed to get preliminary approval for his deal, but not for his preferred timeline. As a result, Brexit was delayed once again, to January 31, 2020, giving the UK a chance to break the current deadlock through an election.
The main issues
Brexit has dominated the British political landscape since 2016 and was probably the main issue for many voters when deciding who to vote for. The Conservative Party aimed to leave the EU with Boris Johnson’s deal, while the Labour Party intended to strike a different deal, and to put that to a public vote. Other parties such as the Liberal Democrats and SNP sought to remain in the EU, while the Brexit Party simply wanted to leave the EU without a deal. Both Labour and the Conservative announced bold public spending plans in areas such as healthcare and the police force after almost a decade of austerity.
