General election exit poll 2019: Boris Johnson could be the most successful Conservative leader since Margaret Thatcher
Johnson blamed his troubles on a House of Commons that had outlived its usefulness, and the exit poll suggests his gamble has now paid off
By Hugo Gye
Updated October 14, 2020 5:12 pm
If the exit poll is anything like correct, Boris Johnson is the most successful Conservative leader since Margaret Thatcher after redrawing the electoral map.
He will have no trouble pushing his Brexit deal through Parliament in a matter of weeks, allowing him to take the UK out of the EU on 31 January. And unlike Theresa May, Mr Johnson will not be troubled by rebellious backbenchers as he pushes to strike a trade deal with Brussels by the end of 2020.
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On the Labour side, Jeremy Corbyn will come under intense pressure to resign – opening up a bitter contest within the party over whether or not to turn away from his radical brand of politics and embrace a more centrist agenda again.
The apparent success of the SNP will put the question of Scottish independence front and centre – Nicola Sturgeon will doubtless try to use the result as a mandate for a second referendum on the issue.
During the campaign Mr Johnson was criticised for dodging a string of high-profile interviews, and derided for a safety-first approach which involved the constant repetition of a string of soundbites. But "Get Brexit Done" was often cited as the only slogan which voters could remember and the exit poll suggests the Tories were successful in hoovering up the support of Leave voters.
The party also benefited from Nigel Farage's decision to withdraw Brexit Party candidates from all Conservative-held seats, effectively uniting the pro-Leave vote in vast swathes of the country.
By contrast, Remainers were split between at least three parties, plus the SNP in Scotland and Plaid Cymru in Wales, which seems to have provided an opening for the Conservatives under the first-past-the-post electoral system.
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During the Prime Minister's chaotic first three months in office, he was repeatedly mocked for losing votes in Parliament, splitting his party and a humiliating Supreme Court defeat. But he blamed his troubles on a House of Commons that had outlived its usefulness, and the exit poll suggests his gamble has now paid off.
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