How long will the Tory rule last?
Former Conservative leader William Hague suggests Boris Johnson is set for ‘decades of dominance in the North’
MPs will be sworn in today in the House of Commons following the Conservatives’ biggest election win since Margaret Thatcher’s landslide victory in 1987.
The previous three general elections resulted in two hung parliaments and a majority of just 12 for the Tories, but Boris Johnson now has a resounding 80-seat majority and what he describes as a “stonking mandate” to “Get Brexit Done”.
The Tories’ success in shattering Labour’s so-called “red wall” of Northern seats secures them power for the next five years - but how likely are they to secure another term in 2024?
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
In an article for The Telegraph, former Conservative leader William Hague claims the party can convert its majority into “decades of dominance in the North”.
It has taken 30 years for the most loyal of voters to turn against Labour, but the deepest bedrock of that support has now been “shattered”, Hague writes.
“Five years from now, Conservatives have to be able to show that they are achieving the revival of towns in the North, as in many other places that have felt neglected, that Labour failed to bring about. The political reward for doing this would clearly be very great,” he concludes.
The New Statesman’s George Eaton predicts that the Tories will use their majority to “reshape British democracy” in a bid to “entrench Conservative hegemony for a generation”.
He points to the party’s manifesto pledges to repeal the Fixed Term Parliaments Act, reform parliamentary boundaries, maintain the first-past-the-post voting system and the voting age of 18, and introduce photo ID checks at polling stations.
Eaton suggests that these moves will benefit the Conservatives in future elections.
The manifesto also promised to “look at the broader aspects of our Constitution: the relationship between the government, parliament and the courts; the functioning of the Royal Prerogative; the role of the House of Lords”.
Eaton says: “The implication is clear: after the Supreme Court ruled that Johnson’s suspension of Parliament was unlawful and the House of Lords inflicted multiple defeats on the government over Brexit, the Conservatives intend to take revenge.”
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––For a round-up of the most important stories from around the world - and a concise, refreshing and balanced take on the week’s news agenda - try The Week magazine. Start your trial subscription today –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
So when might the opposition bounce back?
Darren Murphy, a former special adviser to Tony Blair, is doubtful as to whether Labour can turn its prospects around in just five years.
He told Sky News: “It won’t be the next general election, because the history of party performance is that no matter how well you do to reform the party, on this scale, with defeat so profound in some of our heartland areas, it will take two elections at the very least to get to a point where we could be in a place to win a national election again.”
The Daily Mirror notes that Labour lost elections in 1979, 1983, 1987 and 1992, but then enjoyed three successive victories under Tony Blair, two of which were landslides.
“How Labour reacts to this latest loss will determine how much longer it spends out of power,” says the newspaper.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Today's political cartoons - October 13, 2024
Sunday's cartoons - the swing of things, fear of facts, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 timely cartoons about climate change denial
Cartoons Artists take on textbook trouble, bizarre beliefs, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Kris Kristofferson: the free-spirited country music star who studied at Oxford
In the Spotlight The songwriter, singer and film-star has died aged 88
By The Week UK Published
-
Men in Gray suits: why the plots against Starmer's top adviser?
Today's Big Question Increasingly damaging leaks about Sue Gray reflect 'bitter acrimony' over her role and power struggle in new government
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
On Leadership: why Tony Blair's new book has divided critics
Talking Point The former Labour leader has created a 'practical guide to good governance' but should Keir Starmer take note?
By The Week Staff Published
-
Is Britain about to 'boil over'?
Today's Big Question A message shared across far-right groups listed more than 30 potential targets for violence in the UK today
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
UK's Starmer slams 'far-right thuggery' at riots
Speed Read The anti-immigrant violence was spurred by false rumors that the suspect in the Southport knife attack was an immigrant
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
How could J.D. Vance impact the special relationship?
Today's Big Question Trump's hawkish pick for VP said UK is the first 'truly Islamist country' with a nuclear weapon
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
The Tamils stranded on 'secretive' British island in Indian Ocean
Under the Radar Migrants 'unlawfully detained' since 2021 shipwreck on UK-controlled Diego Garcia, site of important US military base
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Labour's first week in power
In the Spotlight The NHS, prisons and housing are at the top of a to-do list which risks crashing into 'wall of economic reality'
By The Week UK Published
-
How conservative is Labour?
Today's big question Keir Starmer's party triumphed in the general election despite prioritising 'wealth creation and growth, not redistribution'
By Abby Wilson Published