Two top advisers to United Kingdom Prime Primister Theresa May have resigned amid a ministerial shuffle which sends a strong signal that she does not plan to resign following a rough “snap” parliamentary election in which her party lost seats and the majority.
As May finalizes her ministerial team, aides Nick Timothy and Fiona Hill have resigned. One senior Tory said Timothy and Hill were responsible for “the worst manifesto in history” and letting them go was a “litmus test” for May showing she was willing to make adjustments, according to the BBC.
May called for a snap election as part of an effort to bolster her push for a successful “Brexit” from the European Union. Though polls initially favored May and her party, their fortunes seems to turn due to their Conservative manifesto, which came under fire largely for its proposal to reform social care payments, nicknamed a “”dementia tax.”
On election day, the Conservatives lost 12 seats and the majority in Parliament while the opposition Labour Party gained 29 seats. While the Conservatives still have the largest group, they’ll need to form a coalition with another party because of the “hung parliament.” There was speculation that May could step down due to what is widely viewed as a defeat.
However, May said after the election that she planned to stay on and that Brexit would still get underway. “That’s what people voted for last June,” May said after meeting with Queen Elizabeth II to discuss future plans, according to the Washington Post. “That’s what we’ll deliver. Now let’s get to work.”
