Did Polls Predict a Labour Surge in the UK Election ?
Today the United Kingdom goes to the ballot box to elect a new Prime Minister in what is proving one of the most controversial elections in recent UK History.
REPORT Summary :
British Prime Minister Theresa May called a snap election on the 18th of April 2017 sending the UK into a election frenzy, in what is one of the most important elections in recent UK history. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is competing againstTheresa May for the top spot in No.10. It’s Corbyn’s rise that makes this election so controversial, in the fact that these two candidates couldn’t be more different...
Jeremy Corbyn ,who has been compared to Bernie Sanders, has had a long political career of standing for social issues, organising social initiatives and is considered further left of the norm. His political career has been on the fringes of the political mainstream and is viewed by his supporters as a challenge to the traditional political class. Corbyn’s Labour manifesto is ambitious in its socialist policies and its focus on the rights of the middle and lower classes. His critics on the other hand, view him as weak and a bit of a Hippy. He has been called out for not being strong enough when confronted about questions involving the UK Military and its Defence. These critics argue that they prefer what is perceived as the safe hands of Theresa May.
Theresa May has been in government since 2010, as home secretary and now Prime Minister after David Cameron stepped down for his anti-Brexit stance. Her critics say she is untrustworthy and someone who changes her policy positions too frequently. During her time as home secretary she is accused of not carrying out her promises, such as in the case of immigration quota’s where the government pledged to bring down net migration, which she consistently failed to achieve. This pattern has continued into her time as Prime Minster on other issues. However, her supporters perceive her as a modern day Margaret Thatcher and believe that she is the safest bet for Britain at this crucial time.
Analysts argue that Theresa May called this snap election due to the perception that Jeremy Corbyn would do very poorly and that the conservatives would guarantee another five years in power. However, Polls in the UK have shown Jeremy Corbyn surging in the weeks leading up to the election. Labour was trailing the Conservatives by around 20 points when the election was called in april. But since then Labour has been sharply rising, the latest polls show labour at 37 and the conservatives at 42 . Still, most analysts say that Theresa May is the most likely winner and polls still predict a conservative win. But with the recent surge of Corbyn, and the unpredictability of these elections, it looks like its anyones guess.
Once thing is certain, this election is a much tighter race than anyone would have expected.