UK snap election: ‘Putting hardline Tory 'Brexiteers' back in their box’
Theresa May’s snap election is aimed at gaining a bigger majority to put hardline Tories back in their box, but it is going to be a divisive campaign which will increase the disconnect between Scotland and England, experts told RT.
UK Prime Minister Theresa May has called for a snap general election on June, 8 following an emergency cabinet meeting. She says the decision is aimed at finding unity during the Brexit process.
Mark Almond, director of the Crisis Research Institute, said it “is a big moment of decision because it puts everybody on the spot.”
Theresa May has got two problems here, he said.
“The opposition parties, particularly in the House of Lords, and a number of even conservative peers could cause a lot of trouble to any legislation she wants to get through to prepare for Brexit. But she also has an opportunity if she can win a bigger majority to put the really hardline Tory 'Brexiteers' back in their box. At the moment she has a very slim majority. Forty or so Conservative MPs who are absolutely committed to a really harsh break with Brussels have a huge sway because of her small majority. If she could get a bigger majority, they could be put back in their box.”
‘Divisive gamble increasing disconnect between Scotland and England’
Chris Bambery, the political commentator, agreed that Theresa May is calling the election “because she thinks she is going to get a bigger majority.”
“She says that it is because the country has to unite behind her in the process of Brexit. And that the other parties at Westminster are fundamentally divided from the government because they oppose Brexit,” he added.
In his opinion, “it is going to be a very divisive campaign.”
He also suggested that “it is going to increase the disconnect between Scotland and England.”
“We have to see how Labour performs in this election. Clearly, May believes they are facing meltdown,” Bambery said.
“It is a bit of a gamble, not much for Theresa May. I think she is going to win a comfortable majority,” he told RT.
‘May is right, opposition parties are acting like children’
Theresa May is “absolutely right” to call for a snap general election, said Janice Atkinson, independent MEP.
Atkinson said she was slightly depressed when she heard about the decision, but she had to recalibrate her thoughts because “we haven’t got Brexit in the bag because of the opposition parties acting like children…”
“This is her chance to say to the country 'This is my vision for Brexit' and she has said that she is going to deliver Brexit and it makes her hand stronger to negotiate with the EU 27 who are not united on an outcome for Brexit; most vote for a free trade deal with the UK,” she added.
“We’ve seen the House of Commons and the House of Lords say “We’ll vote against it.” And there are a lot of MPs who will vote against the deal no matter what she comes out with. So, I think she is right to do this”, she told RT.
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.
