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Class of 2016
This summer, I had the privilege to spend two weeks studying in the United Kingdom with a group of the McConnell Scholars and Dr. Gregg. We explored Edinburgh, Oxford and London. In our time there, we were also fortunate enough to observe the U.K.’s parliamentary election. I don’t know if the trip was planned around the election season, but it gave a room full of political scientists much to talk about!
For anyone who watched the news in May and already knows the results, stay with me. As an American in a foreign land, it took me some time to acclimate to the differences. Although they were significant, we were able to quickly overcome the challenges and watched the results pour in. Here are my five thoughts on British elections!
1. They have more parties than Americans do
Although the Brits still observe a “first past the post” system, they have far more parties stand in their elections. What I found most interesting was what it took for a party to be a “major” party in the eyes of the BBC. The news network hosted numerous debates and forums for candidates, and it usually included five parties: Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Labour, Green, and the UK Independence Party (UKIP). Of these five, the first three are, I believe, the most important. Although UKIP garnered a substantial number of votes nationwide, they won only one seat! However, the Scottish National Party (SNP), a relatively new figure on the UK political scene, won nearly half the votes of UKIP, but garnered 56 seats.
The vote to seat outcome produced many angry voters and calls for election reform, but the number of parties clearly had an interesting effect on the 2015 elections.
2. Little Excitement Before Election Day
Although we didn’t get a chance to talk to too many people before the polls closed, we asked every Brit we could about their election ideas. From Oxford professors to Catholic priests, there was an overwhelming lack of excitement about the election cycle. They didn’t expect a huge upset or massive change in seats. No one expected a majority government to form, and many believed that Prime Minster David Cameron would build a shaky coalition to keep his job.
3. They Were All Wrong
Despite the pundits and skeptics best guesses, the Conservative Party stole the show with a slim, but potential strong majority. In the Parliament, a party needs 326 seats to form a majority, and the Conservatives earned 330. The exciting victory for the Tories coupled with a stunning defeat for the Liberal Democrats (who lost 57 seats) and Labour (who lost 24). In response to the lackluster Labour showing, their leader, Ed Miliband, resigned his position within the party. The rise of the SNP mixed with numerous other factors produced an unexpected result.
4. A New Wind From the North
After the failure of last year’s Scottish Referendum on Independence, I expected the nationalist movement to fade away. However, the SNP, a party advocating more home rule in Scotland, continues to thrive. Even more, they now control all of the Scottish seats in the UK’s Parliament. Although leader Nicola Sturgeon is adamant that this won’t lead to an immediate separation from the rest of Great Britain, the election results show that Scotland’s independence may still be yet to come.
5. I Want to Do It Again
We came in late to the game and knew missed much of the election cycle, but the small taste of the British election made me want more. Whether it’s watching the leaders’ debates, seeing more SNP newspapers around the country, or even just watching all the pomp and circumstance associated with the announcement of election results, I don’t think I would be alone in saying that I’m ready to go for another round.
Kevin Grout, of Florence, Ky., is a senior McConnell Scholar majoring in history and political science.