They just keep us hanging on… A Hung Parliament!
Well, what can we say? A Hung Parliament! We had hoped, by now, to be able to provide answers for British businesses, regarding the results of the General Election. We had even held our collective breaths for some kind of stability as we careered towards Brexit, but that was not to be. Indeed, many businesses have found themselves with more questions than answers thanks to Theresa May’s snap election. So, what do we know?
The results are in…
Despite calling a General Election in an effort to gain a bigger majority, and thus a larger sway in the face of Brexit, Theresa May has found her Conservative Party in a worse position than before. After securing 318 seats versus Labour’s 262 seats the Conservative Party lost its majority in the House of Commons; the party needed a total of 326 seats to retain its majority. This occurrence has led to what is known as a hung parliament; no political parties secured enough seats to claim a majority.
What happens during a hung parliament?
As you may have gathered from recent news reports Theresa May has continued as the UK’s prime minister, appointing a new cabinet to replace certain members. You can find out who’s who here. During a hung parliament the previous government quite often remains in power while the Prime Minister attempts to build a coalition, or govern with a minority party. In this case Theresa May has been actively negotiating with Northern Ireland party the Democratic Unionist Party, or DUP. With their backing of ten seats she would have an overall majority in the House of Commons. The Conservatives are currently brokering a confidence and supply deal; while not a coalition with the DUP, the deal would mean the party supporting Conservative policies in the House of Commons, and therefore provide enough sway to keep Theresa May in the Prime Ministerial role.
What about Jeremy Corbyn?
Theresa May is due to present her intention to form a government, and the Conservative party’s updated legislative programme, in a Queen’s speech. The date of its delivery has been delayed by continuing talks with the DUP, however. Once Theresa May has presented her speech there will be an opportunity for members of Parliament to debate its content. Jeremy Corbyn and his Labour party are preparing an amendment to the speech, in which their own policies will be made known. Should there be a vote of no confidence in Theresa May’s intended programme there’s a chance that Labour could secure control of government. As you can imagine things are very much up in the air at the moment; there are even talks of a second election this year, or early next year.
Coalitions through history
You won’t be surprised to hear that this isn’t the first instance of a Hung Parliament; indeed, there have been numerous occasions when no single party has held majority control of the government. In 1923, for example, the Conservative Party lost its majority and was unable to form a coalition with any other party. The Labour Party, led by Ramsay MacDonald took office and governed until the October of that year. You can find out more about Hung Parliaments on the official Parliament website; its information may explain a few things!
There’s no real answer to the big question; so what now for British businesses? We’re afraid you’ll have to wait a little longer to find out what the results of the General Election could mean for your company. In the meantime, be reassured that our software always has your business’s best interests at heart – it won’t let you down, regardless of whatever else life is throwing at you.
If you’d like to find out more about call recording or call logging software please don’t hesitate to give us a call; we’d be happy to tell you everything we know – which happens to be rather a lot! Drop us a line on 0333 0022 440, or contact us. We’re here ready to help.