May’s decision stems from her need to steer Britain through Brexit and to allow the British public to decide who they think is best equipped to do so
Nicola Sturgeon, head of the Scottish National Party, is incensed
Her desire to hold a Scottish referendum on independence had been thwarted because May had stated that Britain needed to provide a united front during Brexit negotiations
Holding snap elections clearly proves that Britain is not a united front at all
Sturgeon is now even more adamant on pushing for another referendum in Scotland and will not concede defeat, despite the futility of her request
The question then arises is, who can lead Britain during Brexit? Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the Labour party, has been berated by the British press due to reports of rampant anti-Semitism within Labour (an accusation he vehemently denies)
He has also been a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause which, no doubt, draws ire from the press fiefdom
He has also attracted criticism for his indelibly liberal views which are in stark contrast with an increasingly populist and nationalistic atmosphere
It is quite clear that a Labour win will be very unlikely
Several key Labour ministers have already declared that they don’t have confidence in Corbyn anymore and have switched sides or formed a new alliance
Despite Corbyn’s gallant efforts at reviving the Labour party, it is very clear to see that for now, the Tories will win this election in a landslide, leaving them open to very little opposition and free to tackle Brexit as they wish
The Liberal Democrats had an extremely embarrassing outcome in 2015 election
It is unclear just how well they have recovered from that election and whether they have the prowess to tackle the Tories
Again, the Liberal Democrats do not pose a real threat to the Tories
Sturgeon has made it clear that the raison d’etre behind May’s snap election announcement is to enjoy even more untrammelled power when dealing with something as sensitive as Brexit
There are also likely to be more austerity cuts, tax hikes and a hard Brexit, which could isolate Britain and further damage its position once the details of the exit are negotiated
With no real opposition, May will continue with her agenda oblivious to the whining of the other side and will be more headstrong in her approach
At the end of the day, she is trying very hard to unite a fractious and divided nation so her need to have elections is understandable
However, is she really thinking about what is best for the country? Could she not have waited until 2020 for the general election as she promised to countless media outlets? A viral video has been making the rounds on social media of a flustered British citizen called Brenda becoming upset at the prospect of another election
It is such an apt portrayal of how many in the country feel
https://www
youtube
com/watch?v=VQuzLN0smfw The dust has barely settled following the explosive Brexit vote and here we are again, being thrown into a tumultuous election
Personally, I will be voting for Corbyn despite the unlikeliness of his win
However, with a Tory or Labour win, turbulent times are coming and many feel safer letting May steer the ship for now
Date: | 22-Apr-2017 | Reference: | View Original Link |
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