Politics Across the Pond

Katie Burke

Last week, the United Kingdom held its 56th parliamentary elections, voting Prime Minister David Cameron, of the Conservative Party, into his second term in the post.  Though the result was not unexpected, the wide margin by which Cameron won took pollsters and politicos in the country by surprise.  The landslide victory across the pond may seem far away, but the 2015 United Kingdom elections will have ripple effects across the continent and for the United States, most visibly in European travel.

Parliamentary Elections 101 

Unlike the United States’ presidential democracy, the United Kingdom’s parliamentary democracy requires citizens to vote for one representative to fill their district’s seat in Parliament.  The winning candidate then becomes a Member of Parliament in the House of Commons.  Technically, the monarch appoints the Prime Minister, but does so with the guidance of Parliament.  Thus, the leader of the majority party in the House typically becomes Prime Minister. 

Per the Fixed-term Parliaments Act of 2011, Parliament is dissolved every five years, and the nation holds a general election to fill every seat and appoint a Prime Minister.  However, if the House of Commons no longer supports the Prime Minister, it can hold a vote of no confidence and dissolve the body before the expiration of the term.

Parties win majority control if their members win 326 of the 650 seats in Parliament.  If there is no clear party majority after the general election, parties can create coalitions to ensure control over the legislature.  These agreements require the parties involved to compromise on some issues, but are typically beneficial for the party who has won the plurality of seats.

There are currently four major parties at play in Parliament.  The Conservative Party — which won 331 seats last week — , the Labour Party, the Liberal Democratic Party, and the Scottish National Party.  Similar to Republicans and Democrats, the Conservative and Labour Parties typically alternate control of Parliament, however, Cameron became the first Conservative Prime Minister to win a second consecutive term since Margaret Thatcher in 1983.

The Issues

Like the United States, two of the major issues at play this year were the economy and immigration, as well as the United Kingdom’s membership to the European Union and Scotland’s independence.

Along with the rest of the world, the United Kingdom felt the repercussions of the Great Recession in 2008.  Multiple banks and investment firms went under, and unemployment hit a peak of 8.1 percent in 2011.  However, in recent years the economy has been on the rebound, with the unemployment rate at 5.5 percent between January and March this year, according to the United Kingdom’s Office of National Statistics.  Much of the success has been attributed to a greater demand for labor under Cameron’s first term as Prime Minister. 

According to The Telegraph, net migration to the United Kingdom has been on the rise since 2012, and some have blamed increased job competition on the influx of European Union workers.  After his first victory in 2010, Cameron pledged to reduce net migration to the United Kingdom to fewer than 100,000 annually; however, the nation experienced a net migration of nearly 300,000 in 2014.

The issue of immigration leads to another major point of contention, membership to the EU.  The United Kingdom is currently a member, but it maintains its own currency, the pound.  With the economic woes of Greece and Spain troubling the transnational body, some factions within the United Kingdom are rethinking the country’s membership.  During his first term, Cameron pledged to decide the issue once and for all if he kept his post with a nationwide referendum on EU membership before 2017.

This past September, Scotland voted on a referendum for independence from the United Kingdom.  Scotland’s autonomy has been a voting issue since Britain began decolonization of Africa in 1960, and has been voted on in three times since.  While a majority vote in favor of independence has yet to be achieved, due to the success of the SNP in the recent elections — the party won 56 of the 59 Scottish seats —, independence will continue to be lobbied for in the foreseeable future.  In his campaign, Cameron promised that Scotland would be able to set its own income tax — a long way from full autonomy, but an acknowledgment of its separate population. 

What It Means for Travelers

Because the Conservative Party won a clear majority, their ability to implement new policy is considerably easier. Thus, travelers to Europe should pay attention to their progression and how the new Parliament handles them. 

With the currently strong U.S. dollar, a robust economy in the United Kingdom makes travel there a relatively easy transition.  Spending patterns and prices should continue to be on par with those of the United States, but any unexpected economic disruption on either end could change this stability.  It is in the United States’ best interest to, root for the continued economic success of the Red Coats. 

Though no clear solution to immigration has been put forward, Cameron will be under pressure by the rest of the Conservative Party to form one soon.  An immigration policy would not necessarily affect travel.  There is no immediate concern for American travelers because U.S. passports also serve as visas in the United Kingdom, but a strict immigration policy could set a precedent across the continent for tougher borders. 

Finally, Scotland’s desire for independence may not produce any drastic change, but growing policy-making autonomy could further differentiate travel within the United Kingdom.

As with any newly elected government, the future is far from certain.  However, with multiple policy issues that could influence tourism at hand, it will benefit any traveler to stay tuned to the United Kingdom’s 56th House of Commons.

An aspiring journalist, Katie enjoys learning about the world firsthand through travel. Her main area of interest is Spain and Spanish culture, however, she is open to going anywhere and everywhere she has the chance. To Katie, the most important part of the travel experience is documenting it.

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