The UK general election is now over and the results have been announced. According to the latest reports, Labour won a landslide victory with 412 seats out of the 650-seat House of Commons. The Conservatives lost 251 seats and only 121 MPs remained in the new parliament. But beyond these numbers, there are some trends worth considering.
Turnout was about 60 percent, the lowest in 20 years. The indifference of voters to the political process is palpable. Labour's theme of 'change' resonated with voters, who seemed to be fed up with the Conservatives and their policies. Small parties like the Greens or the British Reform Party, as always, are on the margins. Expectations for a Labour government are high, and frustration may come early if it doesn't materialize. In the end, what can be done depends not only on domestic dynamics, but also on international events. As the Labour government embarks on its task, they will have to contend with some daunting challenges.
First, in addition to socio-economic divisions, British society has also become highly divided in terms of race, religion, region, immigration and non-immigration. In terms of values and traditions, Britishness has declined a lot. For the new Government to succeed, social cohesion among the various groups must be restored. Diversity can be an advantage if managed properly. But mismanagement can lead to division.
Although Britain has always billed itself as a welfare state, its social services are declining. The NHS is a prime example. There is a shortage of doctors and nurses, hospital beds have become a scarce commodity, patients have been waiting for necessary surgeries, and resources are in short supply. But the problem is not only the shortage of resources, but also the abuse of the system. Abuse is prominent in various social assistance systems. However, privatization of social services is not the solution. On the contrary, the UK's social services system needs to be fundamentally structurally reformed.
There is no doubt that inflation has dropped significantly, but this does not solve the economic challenges that ordinary people face in their daily lives. Unemployment is a problem, energy prices are still high, and the housing market is not friendly to the average person. At the macro level, economic growth has been sluggish, and with Brexit, the UK has become isolated, deprived of the benefits and privileges of the European Common Market.
In addition to this, immigration remains a highly controversial issue in British society. It is now recognized that the problem is not always illegal immigration; This is also legal immigration. Through loopholes in immigration laws and the liberal policies of the British government, it is not only those who are socially in need who enter the country, but also those who are dependent on the social assistance system, which places a heavy burden on it. But the more important issue is that it is perceived as opening the door to fundamentalism and terrorism.
The effectiveness and success of the Labour government depends to a large extent on the international situation. One of the defining issues in this regard will be the US presidential election later this year. If Donald Trump becomes president of the United States in November, relations between the United States and Britain under the Labor government cannot be expected to be warm and friendly, and the environment is likely to be tense. In addition, the war in Ukraine and the Palestinian crisis will have a lingering impact on the UK economy. The last British government released a lot of resources to Ukraine, which put pressure on the British Treasury. On the question of Palestine, Labour's position is rather vague and unclear. The Labour government must clarify this.
Some of the election results also point to certain challenges. For example, the Scottish National Party (SNP) won only nine seats in the new parliament, 38 fewer than the previous parliament. This raised questions about Scotland's independent status. Have Scottish voters lost interest in the issue? Or do they think the UK Parliament is not the right platform for Scottish concern? Similarly, the Liberal Democrats achieved their best results in 100 years and won 60 new seats, making it the third largest party in parliament. It is known that this party enjoys strong support from the younger generation. Although Labour has an absolute majority in Parliament, one challenge the party will face is how to engage with the Liberal Democrats in the broader policy context. One has not forgotten how in the coalition of Labour and the Liberal Democrats, the latter was marginalised by Labour.
Over the next few days, the British people will be watching with great anticipation how the new government responds to all these challenges and steers the country forward. The honeymoon period will not be very long. The theme of "change" is the healer, but it can also become a "killer" if change is not achieved.
The views expressed in this article are the author's own.