A recently published poll shows a landslide victory for the Pro-Brexit Tories. This comes shortly after the release of official part manifestos. This has Johnson’s camp cautiously optimistic as Labour gears up to fight to the last. A significant reason for Labour’s dismal polling is their inability to consolidate the remain vote the same way the Conservatives have been able to consolidate the leave vote. Labour’s half-way stance on Brexit has both sides of the Brexit debate feeling lukewarm about Labour’s policies. On the one hand, leave voters feel as if Labour’s plan does not respect the original referendum, while remain voters feel as if the plan does not do enough to keep Britain in the EU. Because of this, many remain voters have turned to the Liberal Democrats who have made clear their pro-Remain position.
Corbyn, however, has more to worry about than just the Liberal Democrats, in addition to potentially losing 3 seats to the Lib Dems, the SNP is poised to pick up 5 Labour seats in Scotland. Further South, Englands rural “red wall” is precariously close to breaking, as many of the constituencies have strong leave sentiments. This election has the potential to be a massive realigning election in the regional bases, as British politics become more polarized than ever over the issue of Brexit.
Corbyn was able to pull an upset back in 2017, but these factors make it unlikely his famous campaigning abilities alone will be able to save the Labour Party. Tied down by antisemitic comments, and facing a far more capable campaigner than Theresa May, Corbyn’s shot of winning No. 10 seems slim, if not nonexistent, and his chances of forcing a hung parliament are dwindling if the MPR poll shows anything.
