The United Kingdom on May 8 confirmed the return of David Cameron as Prime Minister, with four Nigerians elected into the Parliament. Special Correspondent, HENRY ODUAH, writes on the developments that saw the continuation of Conservative’s rule.
For some reasons, Nigerians are in every corner of the world. The good, the bad, the obvious! Philip Emeagwali, a Nigerian-born engineer, mathematician, computer scientist and geologist, is responsible for inventing the world’s fastest computer in the United States. Sportsmen and women of Nigerian root represent different countries of the world in international events. In Indonesia, four Nigerians were recently killed for drug offences. The list continues.
Four Nigerians are again in the news for the right reasons: Chuka Umunna, Helen Grant, Chi Onwurah and Kate Osamor are elected into the United Kingdom Parliament.
Umunna has been a UK MP since 2010 on the platform of the Labour Party. He has also been Shadow Business Secretary since 2011.
Grant, a lawyer and Conservative, currently represents Maidstone and The Weald in Kent. She is currently Minister for Sport, Tourism and Equalities. She was elected at the 2010 general election, replacing the constituency’s previous incumbent, Ann Widdecombe, who had decided to step down as MP. She was first black woman to be selected to defend a Tory seat, and her election made her the Conservatives’ first female black MP.
Labour member, Onwurah, was also reelected to represent Newcastle upon Tyne Central. In the 2010 general election, she replaced the previous Labour MP, Jim Cousins, who decided to step down. She is Newcastle’s first black MP.
Another Labour member, Osamor, now represents Edmonton constituency in London. She won the seat after stiff contest with fellow diasporan Kate Anolue. Having worked for the National Health Service (NHS) for 15 years, Ms Osamor is a trade union activist, a women’s charity trustee and a member of the Labour Party’s National Executive Committee. Much of her campaign was based on funding the NHS, opposing its fragmentation and with support for government cuts.
History was also made in the election, as a 20-year-old Scottish student, Mhairi Black of the SNP, became Britain’s youngest lawmaker since 1667, beating one of Labour’s top figures to the position.
All politics are at first local; in this line, political analysts have said that these Nigerians are responsible for the constituencies they represent. They added that these Nigerians can, however, make recommendations on matters concerning Nigeria in the Parliament.
In addition to the general elections, more than 9,000 council seats were contested across 279 English local authorities. Mayors were elected in Bedford, Copeland, Leicester, Mansfield, Middlesbrough and Torbay.
Postal voting was done by 15 per cent of over 50 million registered electorate with overall turnout set at 66.1 per cent, a little above the 65 per cent turnout in 2010 election. And for the first time, people were able to register to vote online.
David Cameron led the Conservative Party to victory in the May 7 general elections against polls which predicted a hung parliament, a situation where no party would win a majority and as such form a coalition. All the major contenders strolled into the election with uncertainty in what has been described as the most unpredictable in the British political history. Not even the Conservatives anticipated the enormous trust placed on them by the electorate, with 331 seats won, leaving the remaining 319 for the other parties to share.
Preparations for the election
Party politics picked pace few days to election day with party leaders visiting key parts of the UK where they stand better chance of garnering votes. Cameron had initially said that he wanted a conservative majority government. Ed Miliband, on the other hand, ruled out a coalition with the Scottish National Party (SNP) or Plaid Cymru. Miliband would prefer an understanding with the Liberal Democrats (Lib Dems).
Nick Clegg never expected a majority rule by his party, Lib Dems. But agreed, they would always be in contention for coalition between Conservatives and Labour. Nicola Sturgeon’s SNP, who are gunning for a secession from the UK, had planned a “no-no” agreement with the Conservatives, preferring instead to partner with Labour.
Nigel Farage’s United Kingdom Independent Party (UKIP) never considered a formal coalition from the beginning of the year. But they would rather join hands with the Conservatives or support Conservative-Lib Dem coalition since Labour was opposed to a referendum on European Union (EU) membership.
The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) said it was prepared to work with either the Conservatives or Labour, but not formally. Like the SNP, the Greens and Plaid Cymru do not want anything to do with the Tories.
Media endorsement
In the UK, media endorsements are as important as the policies of the parties. Among the national dailies that played bit parts in Conservatives’ outright victory is the Times, Sun and Financial Times. Labour got the better of Daily Mirror, Guardian and Morning Star. The Economist canvassed for Cameron’s Conservatives. The Daily Mail also backed the Conservatives, but Daily Express sprang up surprises with their support for the UKIP.
All Scottish papers lent their voices for the SNP, except three that played neutral and the Daily Record which endorsed Labour. Northern Irish newspapers did not outrightly give their support for the DUP in Northern Ireland, but some ‘nicodemused’ its candidates. As expected, much of English newspapers crusaded for the Conservatives.
Past experience
For a party to form a majority in the UK Parliament, it must meet the 326-seat mark. But with the Conservatives winning 307 seats in 2010, they were condemned to form a coalition with the Lib Dems who had 57 MPs. Due to their extremely diverse policies and ideologies, the Conservatives could not see themselves joining with Labour, though Labour won 258 seats constituting 39.7 per cent.
Talks for a coalition lasted between Conservatives and Lib Dems for five days. Gordon Brown, then PM and Labour leader, attempted to put together a Labour-Lib Dem coalition which fell through. His eventual resignation ended 13 years of Labour government. Then entered Cameron.
EU membership referendum
Top on the list on Cameron’s agenda is the “in/out” referendum on British membership of the EU in 2017. Both Labour and Lib Dems are not in support of the referendum, but that would probably not hold sway since the Conservatives have an overall majority. The Conservatives, as their name suggests, are keen to optimise the UK budget and policies for UK benefits and feel that further association with the EU would not see that accomplished.
Cameron might be forced to move the referendum forward to 2016 to avoid a clash with French and German elections in 2017.
Parties’ stance on key issues
A sizeable number of UK voters place priority on immigration, taxes, economy, health services, security and defence, foreign policy, jobs, education, housing, law and order, benefits/poverty.
On immigration, Conservatives want to make migrants wait for four years before having claims to certain benefits. The party has its sights on bringing net immigration down to below 100,000 people per annum. Labour says employment agencies who only recruit abroad will be outlawed, while fines for employing illegal immigrants will be increased. Lib Dems planned to re-introduce exit checks at borders to identify people who are overstaying their visa.
On taxes and economy, Conservatives pledged to eradicate the deficit by 2018 and an income tax cut for 30 million people by 2020. Labour planned a cut in income tax for 24 million people, mansion tax on properties worth over £2 million. Lib Dems said they would raise personal allowance and create “strict new fiscal rules” to wipe out deficit by April 2018.
On security, defence and foreign affairs, Conservatives stay committed to EU membership referendum. Labour would rather push for EU reform, while Lib Dems want more EU efficiency.
The Conservatives hope to create three million apprenticeships to be paid for by benefit cuts. While Labour said it would create jobs for under-25s unemployed for over a year and adults unemployed for more than two year’s. Lib Dems promised an extra £1 an hour for the lowest paid apprentices.
While Labour vowed to build 200,000 houses a year by 2020, and increase cap rent in the private sector to benefit tenants, Conservatives assured that 100,000 starter homes will be built for under-40s. Lib Dem was confident it would build 300,000 houses a year.
Conservatives said it would outlaw groups that incite hatred or cause fear and spare police officers, but Labour planned to scrap Police and Crime Commissioners to save £50 million. Lib Dems promised to end prison sentences for personal drugs possession and replace Police and Crime Commissioners with Police Boards.
Labour pledged to increase minimum wage from £6.50-an-hour to £8-an-hour by 2020. Conservatives asserted that young people out of work, education or training for six months would have to do unpaid community work to get benefits. Clegg’s Lib Dems intended to raise the personal allowance (the point at which you start paying income tax) to £11,000 in April 2016 and then to £12,500 by 2020 (the Conservatives promised same).
Making sense of the numbers
Conservatives won 331 seats with 35 gains and 11 lost. Labour won 232 seats in total, 22 seats gained and 48 lost. SNP earned 56 seats, 50 gains and no loss. Lib Dems got eight seats overall, gained nothing and lost 49 seats. DUP won eight seats, gained and lost one each. Sinn Fein gathered four seats, gained no seat and lost one.
Plaid Cymru and Social Democratic and Labour obtained three seats each, gained and lost nothing. Ulster Unionist Party won two seats in total, gained two and lost none. UKIP got one seat which it gained and lost none, while Green Party won one seat with no gain and no loss. Others obtained one seat, gained and lost none.
Conservatives earned themselves a 12-seat majority in the Parliament. With England having 533 seats out of 650 seats, the party took full advantage of its influence there and amassed 319 seats, gaining 32 and losing 11 seats.
In Scotland, the SNP crushed the Labour, winning 56 seats in total, 50 gains and no lost seat. Scotland has 59 seats in the Parliament.
Forty seats in Wales were distributed between Labour and Conservatives. Labour won 25 seats, gaining one and losing 2 seats, while Conservatives won 11 seats, gaining three, in their best result in Wales since 1983.
Democratic Unionist Party failed to win all 18 seats in Ireland. They won only eight, gained one seat and lost one. Expectedly, Conservatives could not convince Irish voters to vote their candidates, as they got nothing.
The SNP might not have won an overall majority, but are undoubtedly the biggest winners in the May 7 elections with 50 gains. Conservatives are second best with 35 seats gained.
Lib Dems suffered the biggest loss, with only eight seats won, no seats gained and losing a whopping 49 seats. Labour too experienced shocking setback with 48 seats lost and 22 gained.
How it affects the U.S.
The United States is not in support of UK leaving the EU, so it would be hoping the referendum results keep the UK within the confines of the Union. The White House would prefer the UK stays as one body with many parts as opposed to the secessionist desire of the SNP for Scotland.
The U.S. would also welcome the SNP’s move to scrap the UK’s Trident ballistic-nuclear-missile programme, which could reduce the UK’s military power. But that is largely unrealistic.
Aftermath of Cameron’s success
As is customary of UK politics, party leaders resign their positions as a result of their inability to lead their parties to success. Ed Miliband, Labour leader, has announced his resignation. Lib Dem leader, Nick Clegg, after his party’s dismal showing at the election, had no choice but to step down. But UKIP has rejected leader Nigel Farage’s resignation.
The blame game has started rolling in as David Miliband has criticised the leadership of his brother, Ed Miliband, which he described as “moving backwards”.