In only a slightly less profound version of Labour’s dramatic recapture of power in 1997, Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party secured a powerful parliamentary majority in the British general election on Thursday.
While the final measure of the Conservative victory is not yet clear, the exit poll and results that have come in thus far suggest the conservatives will win between 355 and 375 seats. Certainly any result within that margin would give Johnson a significant buffer with which to enact his legislative priorities. But it also means that Johnson will have great latitude in his negotiating strategy towards the European Union as he seeks a long-term trade and political relationship post-Brexit.
Beyond the political effect of this new majority, the Conservative victory is striking in how it was built.
While the Conservative Party lost seats in pro-Remain areas of London, and in Scotland, it scored remarkable victories in areas of Britain that haven’t returned Conservative members of parliament for a very long time (if ever.)
The Conservatives performed especially well in working-class areas, including constituencies such as Blyth Valley, deep into the Labour heartlands. Don Valley, a Labour-held seat since 1922, also went Conservative. So did Bishop Auckland, held by Labour since 1935, returning a 7,962-vote majority for the conservatives (close votes in U.K. constituencies are normally measured in the range of 500-1,500 votes).
To put this in context, it would be like a Republican winning Nancy Pelosi’s San Francisco district.
While we won’t know the final tally for a few hours, there’s no question that Boris Johnson’s gambit has paid off. Brexit was very much in doubt just a month ago. Now it is all but a certainty.
