HANGING BY A THREAD
Britain heads for hung Parliament after shock exit poll.. and May’s job is on the line
THERESA May’s election gamble backfired spectacularly last night, according to the exit poll.
Her reign as PM was hanging by a thread as the UK headed towards a possible hung parliament.
Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn confounded critics and predictions.
Exit polls suggest she will lose overall majority WITH the final day of polls showing the Tories way ahead, there were no doubt Theresa May expected to sweep back into power with the majority she needed to unleash five more years of austerity.
But a shock exit poll suggested the PM’s mission had flopped and Britain could be heading for a hung parliament.
If the final outcome matches the poll that came at 10pm last night, it could mean her spell in Number 10 was hanging by a thread.
Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry: “I think we’re on the verge of a great result. The Prime Minister should go if the polls are right.”
And Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell branded Mrs May’s campaign a “disaster”.
He said: “Theresa May went with one question about Brexit to the electorate and that was going to be the central question to the whole election, and people said, ‘Actually there are other issues we want to discuss.’”
Former Labour figure Ed Balls said the poll suggested Mrs May had been given “a real, real kicking by the British people”. He added: “This is an exit poll that nobody was expecting.”
The BBC predicted the Tories would remain the largest party with 314 seats, with Labour in second on 266 seats, the SNP third on 34 and the Lib Dems fourth with 14.
If correct it would leave Jeremy Corbyn with more MPs than they won in 2010 or 2015 – and the Tories 12 seats short of an overall majority.
David Cameron’s former spin doctor Sir Craig Oliver said: “The team that’s done this exit poll has got it right... in previous elections. We have to take it seriously. Every seat is going to count and a touch one way or the other would make a huge difference tonight.
“If this is true, if this is accurate in HQ there will be deep and lasting shock.
“This was the biggest gamble that a politician has taken for a long time. And if that exit poll is right, it has failed.”
Exit polls are usually far more accurate than standard ones as they are based on how people in key seats actually voted. Though politicians were quick to point out last night it was still too early to say if the prediction would be borne out.
Mr Oliver warned if accurate, the result could spell the end for Mrs May. He said: “There was a lot of Conservative dissatisfaction under the surface with this campaign.
“A lot of people have said they didn’t like the fact it exclusively focused on Theresa May for so long, they didn’t like the manifesto at all.
“And that’s been really kept below the surface. I suspect tonight it’ll start bubbling up big time.”
The pound dipped as huge doubts emerged over who exactly will be running the country when the dust settles. Last night’s late drama followed a frantic day of canvassing by all the main parties. Mr Corbyn had made a last-ditch plea to voters to sweep him into Number 10 on a tidal wave of hope.
He urged those worn-down by seven years of Tory cuts, wage freezes and a persistent squeeze on living standards to end the misery with a Labour victory. Quoting Percey Bysshe Shelley’s poem the Masque of Anarchy, about the Peterloo massacre, he said: “Rise like lions. We are many, they are few. This is a choice about the future of our country, the most important in a generation.”
But he had been battling against final day polls that showed Mrs May was on course for victory, despite delivering a dark manifesto that offered no hope for ordinary people and a campaign based on lies and riddled with U-turns.
ComRes gave her a 10-point lead, with the Tories on 44% and Labour on 34%. YouGov gave her a seven-point lead at 42% to 35%. BMG had a 13-point lead with 46% against 33%.
And Panelbase gave her an eight-point lead. Millions of public sector workers fear five more years of pay freezes, job cuts if Mrs May does get in with a huge majority. The party leaders were out early to cast their ballots amid heightened security at polling stations. Grinning Mrs May greeted photographers with a cheery “hello” as she arrived with husband Philip to vote at Sonning guide and scout hut on the outskirts of Maidenhead, Berks. Mr Corbyn arrived at Pakeman Primary School in Holloway, North London, to cast his vote. He smiled, waved and spoke to voters, before telling of his pride in Labour’s campaign when he emerged from the polling station. He told
journalists waiting outside: “Thank you very much, all of you, for coming here today.
“It’s a day of our democracy. I’ve just voted. I’m very proud of our campaign. Thank you very much.”
Mr Corbyn’s close ally Diane Abbott was seen in public for the first time since being sidelined as Shadow Home Secretary.
She had been pulled from the political frontline on Wednesday as it was revealed she was suffering from an illness, following a series of disastrous broadcast interviews.
SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon was joined by husband Peter Murrell at their polling station in Glasgow. Asked how she was feeling after an intense campaign, Ms Sturgeon said: “good. We’re focused today on getting out the vote.” Tory grandee Sir Nicholas Soames was left embarrassed after being rapped for standing too close to a polling station. Strict rules govern parties’ conduct on election day, including how close they are allowed to get to voters are preparing to cast their ballots. One worried resident alerted the returning officer for Mid- Sussex, Sir Nicholas’ ultra-safe constituency, after he was spotted lurking near West Hoathly Village Hall. Business leaders said that with the election over, the most important thing for the country was for the new government to concentrate on jobs and the economy. Carolyn Fairbairn, CBI director-general, added last night: “There has never been a more important time to refocus on the economy and plan with confidence and ambition. As a nation we have the creativity, skills, and global outlook to make the UK a true world leader in the industries of the future, bringing jobs and growth to all parts of the UK.
“UK firms will work with whoever forms the new government to make the most of this golden opportunity.
“As early priorities, business will want to see a commitment to tax and regulatory stability, fast progress on a modern industrial strategy to support skills, infrastructure and innovation, and a Brexit approach that puts people and trade ahead of politics.”
This was the biggest gamble. If the polls are right, it failed SIR CRAIG OLIVER DAVID CAMERON SPIN DOCTOR