2020 - Dentistry

THE PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW Review of Parliament

The UK’s January 31 departure would not have been possible without a Conservative victory in the previous month’s general election. His Brexit deal, and his stance on Brexit in general, meant that the Tories were susceptible to losing seats in Remain- supporting areas, particularly in the cities. To win a majority, therefore, they would have to win in places where the labour vote was traditionally weighed rather than counted, Blyth Valley, Bolsover, Bassetlaw and the like. Despite the ten-point lead, this was not a foregone conclusion, with many pundits predicting another hung parliament. labour’s manifesto signalled a clear evolution from their 2017 effort, with even more spending promised. The health budget would increase by 4.3 per cent per annum, university tuition would be covered entirely by the taxpayer and 100,000 council houses would be built every year. The national minimum wage would jump within a year to £10 an hour, even for 16-year- olds. The party would nationalise the big six energy providers, as well as national Grid, the water industry, Royal mail, all the railways and the broadband arm of BT, which they would use to provide taxpayer-funded broadband for all. They would also put the UK “on track for a net-zero carbon energy system within the 2030s”. And, of course, there would be a second referendum on leaving the European Union, with the option to stay in the EU put up against a new deal that labour would negotiate. In such a referendum, mr Corbyn would remain neutral. The Tory manifesto was far more, well, conservative. It came in at only 60 pages, compared with labour’s colossal 105, and promised one pound of extra spending for every 28 pledged by labour. Policies included 50,000 extra nurses; no income tax, national The Christmas election

The election was the Conservative Party’s biggest win since 1987

insurance or VAT increases; a rebuttal of the so-called “Dementia Tax” in mrs may’s 2017 manifesto; a points- based immigration system; and new infrastructure projects, particularly in the north. The key message, as mr Johnson and practically all the Tory campaign literature never tired of repeating, was to “Get Brexit Done”. In keeping with the recent trend, this campaign was dominated by social media, with promoted posts and viral videos holding more sway with some voters than the traditional newspapers and television channels. The election was also hit by tragedy when, on november 29, an Islamist terrorist attacked innocent civilians on london Bridge, injuring five people and murdering Cambridge University students Jack merritt and Saskia Jones. After six weeks of campaigning, both main parties had made gains in the polls, but the gap was nine points, almost exactly as it had been at the start. Predictions of a hung parliament were abundant and, even among the pundits who expected a Tory majority, very few expected it to be anything other than slender. Then the exit poll hit. At 10pm on December 12, the nation was rocked by the news that mr Johnson’s Conservative Party was

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