Big Conservative wins across Yorkshire provide majority
The general election has delivered political certainty with the Conservative Party on course to achieve a majority of around 80 seats.
The shock results in Labour’s Yorkshire heartland include the Tories securing seats in Wakefield, Don Valley, Rother Valley and Great Grimsby. Jeremy Corbyn’s party also lost seats in Colne Valley, Dewsbury, Keighley, Penistone & Stocksbridge and Scunthorpe.
Boris Johnson has secured the largest Tory majority in a generation and once again promised to “get Brexit done”.
The Withdrawal Bill is now expected to be brought back to Parliament immediately and be passed ahead of the January 31 deadline. A Budget and a more significant Cabinet reshuffle is likely to follow.
It is the fourth consecutive election loss for the Labour Party, with Jeremy Corbyn announcing he will not lead the party into another election.
The Liberal Democrats will also be looking for a new leader after Jo Swinson lost her Dunbartonshire East seat as the SNP strengthened its stranglehold in Scotland.
The pound had risen sharply when the exit poll was published, rising nearly 3% against the dollar to an 18-month high of $1.35 – up from $1.20 in August. The pound reached its highest level against the euro since the 2016 referendum.
With just two seats left to declare the Conservatives have won 363 seats, Labour 203, the SNP 48, Liberal Democrats 11 and 23 others.
Commenting on the results, Henri Murison, director of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership said: “This election has seen the North come in and out of focus, however, the Prime Minister must now deliver on his election campaign promises and do what no government has achieved since the first Industrial Revolution – make a step change in progress towards rebalancing the UK economy, capturing a trillion-pound economic gain for the country over the coming decades.”
Caroline Flint the former MP for Don Valley commented on Twitter during the count, “We’re going to hear the Corbynistas blame it on Brexit and the Labour Uber Remainers blaming Corbyn. Both are to blame for what looks like a terrible night for Labour. Both have taken for granted Labour’s heartlands. Sorry we couldn’t offer you a Labour Party you could trust.”
