The UK’s first general election in nearly five years took place last Thursday. This election was predicted to be historic, and the bookies weren’t disappointed.
In a ground-breaking victory, Labour were first past the post, beating the long-standing Conservatives. They won a whopping 412 seats out of a possible 650 – an increase of 211 since the last election! They only increased their overall vote share by 1.6% but their seats increased by 32% - a revolutionary (though somewhat predictable) victory.
The Conservative Party themselves were the main reason for the rise in Labour support - their seats decreased by 251. They now have 121 seats, the lowest number they’ve had in over 100 years. It really was a historic election, though some Conservatives were quoted admitting defeat even before the election had begun.
Labour weren’t the only ones celebrating though; the Liberal Democrats had a massive win this election gaining 64 seats to raise their total number to 72. This election marks the most seats they’ve had in government since 1923, under the leadership of H. H. Asquith. (The Liberal Democrats were voted most popular in our school election, under the moniker of “The Owls”!)
This was also a monumental day for many constituencies across the UK, including Hertford and Stortford (the area that Leventhorpe falls in). This is because a Labour candidate was voted in as the MP - this is the first time a non-conservative MP has represented Hertford and Stortford since the constituency’s creation in 1983.
It definitely proved to be a monumental and historic day for all parties involved. Let’s see what Labour brings for the next 5 years!
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