An exit poll and early results of the U. election have led strategists to project that Prime Minister Theresa May`s political leadership has effectively eroded, setting the stage for arduous Brexit talks ahead.
May`s ruling Conservative government may be set to lose its current parliament majority, according to a BBC poll released Thursday. So far, the bulk of declared seats have gone to the opposition Labour party, led by Jeremy Corbyn, although that is not necessarily a predictor of the final tally.
Although the results are still incoming, the initial impressions have already triggered widespread doubts over May`s future.
"The alarm bells should be ringing. Even if the exit poll isn`t entirely correct, even if we see a slim majority for the Tories, which would be a good result for May at this point, her future looks bleak in the party," said Herve Lemahieu, research fellow at the Lowy Institute Institute for International Policy, a Sydney-based think tank. "This (election) is clearly an exercise that backfired on her."
May will remain PM if the Tories are able to secure a majority, former finance minister George Osborne told local media on Friday, but speculation as to her resignation is already underway regardless of how her party fares.
"She`ll try to stay in the game, but there will be pressures within the party to see her moved. Even if she retains the leadership, she`s lost credibility in the eyes of Brussels in the lead-up to the Brexit negotiations, so she`s in a far worse position," said Lemahieu.
"This election was a very big miscalculation," echoed Andrew Gamble, politics professor at the Universities of Cambridge and Sheffield, adding that May`s authority would weaken even with a Conservative majority outcome.
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