Jeremy Corbin to Step Down as Labour Leader After Boris Johnson’s Conservatives Win in Landslide

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party won a landslide victory in Thursday’s elections, CNN reports.

As of Friday, the Conservatives won 365 of the 650 seats in the House of Parliament while Labour’s total dropped to just 203 seats. The Scottish National Party also improved to win 48 seats while Liberal Democrats secured 11 seats.

The massive win gives Johnson a large majority to make good on his promise to deliver Brexit by the end of January.

"You may only have lent us your vote, you may not consider yourself a natural Tory," Johnson said Thursday. "Your hand may have quivered over the ballot paper before you put your cross in the Conservative box and you may intend to return to Labour next time round. And if that is the case, I am humbled that you have put your trust in me and that you have put your trust in us. I, and we, will never take your support for granted.”

Johnson said that Brexit will unquestionably happen by January 31 and said the election put an end to “all those miserable threats of a second referendum.”

Jeremy Corbin to step down:

Corbyn ran on increasing public spending and pushing for progressive economic reforms while pledging to renegotiate the Brexit agreement and put the deal to a voter referendum.

His strategy backfired, as the Labour Party suffered its worst election since 1935.

"This election was ultimately taken over by Brexit and we as a party represent people who voted both Remain and Leave," Corbyn said Friday. "My whole strategy was to reach out beyond the Brexit divide to try and bring people together, because ultimately this country has to come together."

He said he would step down but did not say when.

"I called last night for a period of reflection in the party and obviously the ruling body of the party -- our national executive -- will decide what process we follow then for the election of the successor to me," he said. "I was elected to ... lead the party until that takes place."

EU leaders happy with result:

“To be honest, many of my counterparts were pleased at the fact that this was a clear outcome, that we’re not again facing a situation with a hung parliament where you can’t make headway in either direction,” said German Chancellor Angela Merkel, according to The Washington Post.

Other leaders suggested that it was a good thing Johnson won because it ends all of the uncertainty around Brexit.

“I am sure that a lot of Remainers voted for Boris Johnson because they are fed up of not knowing what is going to happen, and they wanted just to have a finish, arrival, basta, finito. They wanted to have clarification,” said Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel.

 

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