The historic victory of the British Labour Party led by Sir Keir Starmer in the just concluded general election did not come as a surprise to Political watchers of the age long democratic principles or ideals of the British Political system even as opinion polls or exit polls had long predicted the Labour Party’s overwhelming victory over the governing Conservative Party led by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
According to press report the Labour Party won a decisive and comfortable majority of 412 seats or 65% in the House of Commons while the defeated Conservative Party won 121 seats or 24% and the Liberal Democrats won a total of 72 seats. It would be recalled that the Conservative Party that had been in power in Britain since 2010 took over power from the last Labour Party government of the former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown about fourteen years ago and had produced five successive Prime Ministers from David Cameron to Theresa May to Borris Johnson to Liz Truss and finally Rishi Sunak who had led the Tory Party to its crushing and humiliating defeat, one of its worst electoral defeats in a century. The outgoing Prime Minister Sunak, a British-Asian of Indian descent came to power on the mantra of a rejuvenated and more united and cohesive Tory party that hitherto was in total disarray and in complete shambles. High expectations were therefore on former Premier Sunak to clear the colossal mess, unprecedented scandals and reckless life style left behind by the flamboyant and loquacious former Prime Minister Borris Johnson. It would also be recalled that former Premier Johnson campaigned vigorously for Britain’s exit from the European Union (EU) during the Brexit referendum in 2016 and which culminated in the eventual exit of the U.K from the twenty seven member nations European Union (EU).
It is needless to emphasize the point therefore that Britain had suffered colossal economic decline or down turn since her final exit from the E.U even as the unemployment rate had risen to unprecedented highest level and poverty level indices had equally risen astronomically consequent upon the dwindling social security benefits enjoyed by the British people for centuries.
There is no doubt therefore that the seeming misjudgment or miscalculation by the anti-European Union Campaigners or proponents of Brexit led by Borris Johnson contributed immensely or majorly to the present economic decline and uncertainties in Britain. And for the first time in modern British history and in peace, time the British populace are presently suffering under the thoughtless and misguided decision to leave the European Union based on primordial considerations by the anti-European Union or Brexiteers championed by the Conservative Party leaders. It is no gainsaying the fact that since exiting the European Union or Brexit, Britain’s political cum economic powers and influence at the global stage had declined considerably even as the country had suffered monumental socio-economic damage and misfortune in the immediate aftermath of Brexit debacle.
There were certainly immense advantages for Britain to have remained in the E.U as the Union remains a huge market for goods and services as well as the free movement of people across the member States of the E.U even as Britain is the greatest loser as she is now an island unto herself. It has to be stated also that former Prime Minister Borris Johnson’s reckless and scandal-ridden government equally contributed to the Conservatives Stunning and humiliating defeat at the polls. A major upset in the election however was the defeat of the former Prime Minister Liz Truss who was succeeded by the immediate past Premier Sunak after her sudden resignation in 2022.
Meanwhile the new Labour Prime Minister Starmer will be faced with the herculean task of rebuilding the British people’s Trust and confidence in government after the long years of the colossal failure and disaster by the erstwhile conservative government in the country.
In the meantime, the victorious labour party leader Keir Starmer had been invited by King Charles III to form a new government after the outgone Prime Minister Sunak had tendered his resignation to the King at the Buckingham Palace. The new Prime Minister Starmer was reported to have already made some key ministerial appointments including a female Deputy Prime Minister among others. At press time Prime Minister Starmer and his wife had moved into 10 Downing Street, the official residence of the Prime Minister and seat of Power where he was expected to hold his first meeting with his new cabinet.
In his first official address from 10 Downing street, Premier Starmer promised to carryout immediate and comprehensive changes in government and acknowledged that difficult times lied ahead but assured that he was determined to face the challenges squarely as he was fully prepared to fulfill his Labour Party promises to the British people who had given him a clear and huge mandate to govern the country. However the former Prime Minister Sunak who is still nursing the wounds of his devastating defeat had already congratulated Prime Minister Starmer for his landslide victory and equally accepted responsibility for his Tory Party’s crushing defeat by the victorious Labour Party at the polls. Britain’s new Prime Minister Starmer still basking in the euphoria of his historic victory had already sent his goodwill messages to US President Biden, the UN, and EU and assured them of Britain’s diplomatic cooperation at all times. The new Prime Minister Starmer had already paid solidarity visits to the Scottish Capital Edinburg, and Northern Ireland as well as Wales as a confidence building strategy for greater unity among the components parts that make up the United Kingdom.
The just concluded British general election should therefore serve as a great lesson for African nations particularly Nigeria whereby elections were held without any violence or rancour and winners emerged in a free, fair, transparent and credible election where there was no electoral dispute or litigation after the polls. And there could never be a better moment than now for Nigeria to pay heed to the clarion calls by well-meaning Nigerians for the country to quickly return to the Parliamentary system of government which the erstwhile British colonial over Lords had bequeathed to the country as the only suitable democratic system of government for the diverse ethnic cum socio-cultural society as Nigeria. The current bogus, highly expensive and wasteful Presidential system of government is completely alien to the country and unsuitable for the present grossly immature and under developed Nigerian political environment.
Nze Umeji-Akabogu (JP) is a Regular Public Affairs Commentator and Analyst.
He wrote from Enugwu-Ukwu, Anambra State.
G.S.M: 08074942671, 07037256684
E-mail: nzenwabuezeakabogu@yahoo.com
