User:LukeSurl/2019elecBackground

The 2017 general election resulted in the Conservative party under then Prime Minister Theresa May remaining the largest party in the Commons, but without an overall majority. May remained in power after forming a confidence and supply agreement with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).

Brexit

Following the 2016 referendum and the triggering of a two year notice negotiation period in March 2017, the UK government was negotiating the terms of a withdrawal agreement for the country leaving the EU ("Brexit"). Debates over Brexit dominated UK politics during the 2017–2019 Parliament, with different factions preferring different outcomes, ranging from a "no-deal Brexit" where the UK leaves without any withdrawal agreement to those who wished for the UK to remain in the EU (potentially after a further referendum).

May concluded these negotiations in November 2018, but was three times unable to achieve a majority for ratification (in a "meaningful vote") in the House of Commons, with large portions of her own MPs opposing the agreement. May was simultaneously opposed by MPs who believed the agreement tied the UK too closely to the EU (including with regards to the Northern Ireland backstop), and those who preferred a close relationship or for Brexit not to happen at all. Without being able to withdraw with an agreement, May applied for an extension to the negotiation period; a first short extension was followed by a longer extension till 31 October 2019.

This extension meant that the UK participated in the 2019 European Parliament elections in which the newly formed Brexit Party won the most seats and a plurality of vote share.

After taking power in July, the Johnson government lost several Brexit related votes in the Autumn, and also failed on three occasions to bring about an early general election (see below). The government also lost a legal battle over Johnson's decision to prorogue Parliament in September. Commons defeats included the Benn Act being passed despite Johnson's objections, which compelled the Prime Minister to request a further extension to the negotiation period. This extension, until 31 January 2020, was granted, with the provision that the UK would leave earlier if a withdrawal agreement could be agreed and ratified.

Johnson renegotiated the withdrawal agreement with a revised agreement published in October 2019. Although the Commons voted in favour of the second reading of the withdrawal agreement, indicating provisional support ahead of further scrutiny, the government withdrew the bill after losing a vote which would have allowed the bill to rapidly move towards final approval. Shortly thereafter the Government was able to secure an early general election.

Other developments

May survived a December 2018 vote of confidence of Conservative MPs and a January 2019 Commons vote of no confidence in the Commons (which went along party lines). Ultimately however May chose to resign the leadership of the Conservative party and the office of Prime Minister, with effect from July. Boris Johnson won the Conservative party leadership contest and became Prime Minister.

Jeremy Corbyn remained leader of the Labour Party throughout the Parliament. Allegations of anti-Semitism impacted the party, and lead to the departure of several MPs.

The Liberal Democrats changed leadership twice during this period. Tim Farron resigned after the 2017 election and was succeeded by Vince Cable. Cable resigned in 2019, and was succeeded by Jo Swinson.

In Scotland, the SNP continued to campaign for a second independence referendum for the country, arguing that Brexit (opposed by a majority of Scottish voters in 2016) is a substantial enough change to warrant a further vote. Both the Scottish Labour and Scottish Conservative parties (regional subdivisions of their UK parent parties) changed leadership: for Labour Richard Leonard took over after Kezia Dugdale resigned in 2017, while the Scottish Conservatives have yet to appoint a permanent replacement for Ruth Davidson after her departure in August 2019.

The 2017–2019 Parliament was marked by a large number of MPs changing affiliation, some voluntarily, some due to having their party whip suspended. There were four by-elections during the course of the parliament. Both the Conservative and Labour Party progressively lost MPs; Conservative losses meant the the government ultimately lost its working majority in September 2019. The two most substantial changes were the February 2019 formation of The Independent Group which attracted eleven disaffected Labour and Conservative MPs, and the suspension of 21 Conservative MPs who voted against the government on a Brexit-related motion in September 2019. Overall, the Liberal Democrats were a net beneficiary of these changing, ending the Parliament with 21 MPs, up from the 12 who were elected in 2015.