Dubai: Theresa May’s loss of a majority government in the wake of a snap general election has plunged the United Kingdom into an uncertain future, said UK expatriates in the UAE on Friday.
A hung parliament in the UK comes days ahead of the UK being set to enter into Brexit negotiations with the European Union.
Political pundits predict May will attempt to forge a new alliance with the Democratic Unionist Party of Northern Ireland to regain control of the House of Commons with a slim majority in order to continue her Brexit agenda.
In conversation with Gulf News as final returns confirmed the unwelcome results for the Tories, UK expats said serious electoral gains made by Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn at the polls were a sign that domestic issues played a more pivotal role than May anticipated.
Joe Batt, a UK expat living in the UAE, said May’s snap election call was a serious misstep.
“It’s going to cause a disaster in the UK, Theresa May was a driving force behind Brexit. I think it has caused a great deal of uncertainty going forward in the next few years.”
Batt said the outcome of a hard Brexit is in doubt despite a clear mandate from the recent referendum.
“This is going to be a problem driving it forward, if she doesn’t, who will?”
Long-time UAE resident and UK expat Ian Fairservice said May’s snap-election gamble completely backfired in contrast to her failed wish for a stronger mandate going into Brexit negotiations.
“In many ways, it was a perfect storm. It has backfired on them horrendously,” said Fairservice.
“My attitude is that it is a great shame that Theresa May squandered a great opportunity. She was gambling on a quite risky snap election when she should have focused on what is important for the nation and not the party,” Fairservice said.
Amid a “growing sense of haves and have-nots”, Fairservice said Corbyn’s call for more social equity on domestic issues swayed more voters away from the Tory campaign.
“There was a groundswell of support for Corbyn’s policies, he had a much better campaign than the Tories did,” he said.
Ruth Dickinson, UK expat, said the Tories were too focused on Brexit and lost perspective on the electorate’s demands for social security in times of great economic uncertainty.
Noting discrepancies on health care costs for seniors in the May manifesto, Dickinson said voters — more notably those in their later years — wanted more assurances regarding social programmes.
“May made a few gaffes and a number of U-turns. As people get older, they want enough money to take care of themselves. I don’t think the election was about a mandate for Brexit, I think it was an old-fashioned election about NHS [National Health Service], jobs, income and security.”
