RMIT experts available for comment on UK election

Professor Bruce Wilson (0414 236 765 or bruce.wilson@rmit.edu.au)

Topics: EU, upcoming European elections, Brexit, international affairs

“Notwithstanding a consistent and at times significant lead for the Conservative Party in the polls, there is still great uncertainty about the election outcome.

“As the first winter election since 1974, voter turnout remains a concern, and there continues to be great confusion over whether voters will ultimately support Boris Johnson’s Brexit agenda, or be persuaded by Labour’s campaign which has focused on domestic issues, particularly the National Health Service.

“The Liberal Democrats have not done as well as they had hoped but could still end up with the balance of power, depending on how the vagaries of the British first-past-the-post system work out.

“The election result is not the end of the story as the new Government, however formed, will be working on the future relationship with a new leadership of the European Union, Ursula Von den Layen, the President of the European Commission, and Charles Michel, President of the European Council of heads of states.

“It is also not clear how the outcome of the election will affect the current trade negotiations between Australia and the European Union.

Professor Bruce Wilson is the Director of the EU Centre of Excellence in the School of Global, Urban and Social Studies at RMIT University. Wilson is an expert on international affairs, specifically the EU, with 20 years’ experience and a regular media commentator on the topic.

Dr Chloe Ward (0439 998 704 or chloe.ward@rmit.edu.au)

Topics: UK politics, Brexit, British election, British history, European history

“Whatever the outcome of the election, we are unlikely to see a resolution to the Brexit crisis any time soon.

“There are serious questions about the practicalities of the future relationship between mainland Britain, Northern Ireland, and the EU.

“Leaked government documents have warned of the complexity and possible disruptions that will be caused by customs checks on goods travelling across the Irish Sea.

“With Johnson promising to finalise a deal with the EU by the end of 2020, one year of negotiations isn’t much time to resolve this issue.

“If the Labour Party forms a minority government, more than likely it will need the support of the SNP. The price for this would almost certainly be Labour supporting a second Scottish independence referendum.

“This means that Britain could be facing not one, but two referendums in the near future – one on Scotland, and one on the EU, with a choice between a Labour-negotiated deal with Europe and remaining in the EU.”

Dr Chloe Ward is a is a Research Officer at the EU Centre of Excellence in the School of Global, Urban and Social Studies at RMIT University. She is a historian of modern British politics and culture and co-host of RMIT’s new Barely Gettin’ By podcast.

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