British voters send a strong signal: historical defeat for Tories, Triumph for Labor

"Nd.Diewoche": In the end deserved defeat - comment on the failure of the Tories in the elections in Great Britain

"historical", "seismisch", "monumental": The British press overlaps in superlatives to describe the surprising election success of the Labor party. However, on closer inspection it becomes clear that the British are less enthusiastic about Labor, but rather feel a profound reluctance to the Tories. Labor has only made minimal progress in the voting share and even lost votes in votes compared to the 2017 election. Nevertheless, Labor has won a clear victory due to the majority voting right.

The Tories that have ruled the country for 14 years suffered a historical defeat - and they deserve it. Austerity policy has had devastating effects on the country, with studies that show that poorer British today have worse health and a shorter life expectancy than before. Brexit has also isolated the country internationally and hindered economic growth. In addition, the Tory party has accepted an ever increasing right-wing populist character, accompanied by corruption and regular breaks. The reign of Boris Johnson and Liz Truss showed this clearly.

The clear victory of Labor and the removal for the Tories send an important signal throughout Europe. In many countries there are rights to right -wing extremists on the rise, but Great Britain has developed in the opposite direction, from right to left. This development could indicate an approach to Europe, at least in the tone.

The new government, however, faces major challenges. There are numerous crises in the country, including rising living costs, high housing prices and ailing public services. The previous plans of the Labor leadership seem to be hardly up to these challenges. Many economists warn of a brave and more recent fiscal policy to avoid serious problems.

The clear removal of the voters to the Tories shows the desire for change. Should Labor disappoint this hope and do not improve the living conditions of the British, extremist forces in the country could benefit from it. The Brexit Party of Nigel Farage has achieved a considerable result and also brought extremist views to parliament. Farage himself has already announced that he will target Labor. The future Prime Minister Keir Strander should take this warning seriously.