You might recall the British Prime Minister Theresa May, a little more that a month or so ago, said she was calling a special "snap" election in the hope of widening her party's majority in Parliament. Their government is somewhat like ours, and majorities are welcome, if you're the majority.
The lower chamber of Parliament is analogous to our House of Representatives. But where we have 435 congressional seats to represent 324 million citizens, Britain has 650 Members of Parliament (MPs) to represent 65 million citizens in four regions: Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England. This means their representation density is waaaay greater than ours. And since the U.K. is geographically smaller than the U.S. it also means there is greater representation density per square mile. Take the Tube, and you probably go through numerous election districts above.
And as anyone who follows this stuff might know by now, the prime minister's Conservative party did not add to their slim majority. They lost their majority, and because there are several parties in the U.K. no one has a majority right now. It is what they call a "hung parliament."
I've often said that terrorism will influence elections, and the recent multiple attacks in England are a likely cause for Prime Minister May's current difficulties. If she is to stay in office, she will need to create a coalition government, needing a deal with the party in Northern Ireland.
I'm sure there are plenty of people who see the irony of the
Irish--any Irish--helping to prop up the government in Westminster. "The world is a changin'."
But the really sad news behind all this is not what it means for the British Pound, and not what it means for Brexit, but that Ms. May may no longer stay in the running for the 'World's Most Photographed Woman with Clothes On.'
It would be a real pity if she were to scratch out of the race, when she is easily the best clothes horse a nation could want.
http://www.onofffreamp.blogspot.com
She is "hung" out to dry.
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