An exit poll and early results of the U.K. election have led strategists to project that Prime Minister Theresa May’s political leadership has effectively eroded, setting the stage for arduous Brexit talks ahead.
May’s ruling Conservative government may be set to lose its current parliament majority, according to an exit poll released Thursday. So far, the bulk of declared seats have gone to the opposition Labour party, led by Jeremy Corbyn, although that is not necessarily a predictor of the final tally.
Although the results are still incoming, the initial impressions have already triggered widespread doubts over May’s future.
“The alarm bells should be ringing. Even if the exit poll isn’t entirely correct, even if we see a slim majority for the Tories, which would be a good result for May at this point, her future looks bleak in the party,” said Herve Lemahieu, research fellow at the Lowy Institute Institute for International Policy, a Sydney-based think tank. “This (election) is clearly an exercise that backfired on her.”
May will remain PM if the Tories are able to secure a majority, former finance minister George Osborne told local media on Friday, but speculation as to her resignation is already underway regardless of how her party fares.
“She’ll try to stay in the game, but there will be pressures within the party to see her moved. Even if she retains the leadership, she’s lost credibility in the eyes of Brussels in the lead-up to the Brexit negotiations, so she’s in a far worse position,” said Lemahieu.
“This election was a very big miscalculation,” echoed Andrew Gamble, politics professor at the Universities of Cambridge and Sheffield, adding that May’s authority would weaken even with a Conservative majority outcome.
