American Reacts to UK Election 2024!

Let's check out the highly anticipated UK Elections of 2024! From campaign highlights to unexpected twists and turns, we'll dive into the key moments that defined this election. Discover how the results impact the political landscape and what this means for the future of the UK!

#UKElections2024 #BritishPolitics #ElectionReaction

[Xeroph-]

"I think it's important we check in on Count Binface"

NOW you're channelling the British spirit!

[helenwood]

Nobody disputes the results, because Brits are not crazy.

[slashdisco]

"This gives people an excuse to dispute the actual results" - just want to pick up on that comment. We may be extremely divided in the UK (as is everywhere else), but one thing we ALL agree on, ALWAYS, is the integrity of our elections. No matter whom we support, we all accept that the election results are accurate. It's a great source of pride to Britons that we always have a quick, peaceful and undisputed transition of power. So did the USA, until your 45th president.

[jasoncallow]

The best thing about the election was that they had only 44 days from election announcement to polling day. Exit polls have no legal weight in the UK. All ballots are paper and have to be counted by hand; electronic voting, like in the USA, is illegal in the UK.

[what-uc]

The exit poll was good. And no, it's not a basis to dispute the election. It just gives the pundits something to talk about for 3 hours until a decent number of results start to roll in

[JohnResalb]

Hi JJL.
I dont know your name.
I think the big problem for US elections is - there's too much money involved, and that prevents "small people" from getting a say.
You could say "it's anti-democratic."
Another factor is the long two month election period during which all kinds of things can go on.
The British election is over within 24 hours and there's no January inauguration - the new guy takes over right away the next day after the election.

[John-Dennehy]

Corbyn's closest American comparison would be Bernie Sanders. He was the previous Labour leader but was pushed out for being too left wing to win, despite actually leading the party to a greater share of vote than Starmer. The reason Starmer won more seats despite less votes, was due to hatred for the incumbents failures, Reform splitting the Tory vote, and tactical voting in close run seats.

[zo]

The beauty of Uk politics, the 2nd most powerful person in the UK lost his job and his home instantly and had to move out within 12 hours.

[nicw]

When I checked the results on Friday morning, I was so happy, it's given me a big sense of hope that things will get better. It will take time though.
At least we now have a very strong chance we will keep our NHS.
It was hilarious who lost their seats, Liz Truss had a face like slapped arse 😂
Great reaction, wishing you well 😀

[KevFrost]

On 4th July, the Conservatives had their worst performance since records began in 1720.

[productjoe]

Exit polls in the UK are usually extremely accurate (in the past 20 years anyway). This was still within margin of error, but less accurate than recent ones because a) significant boundary changes, b) low turn-out of around 60%, c) Reform UK’s voter enthusiasm being hard to gauge as a new party.

Unlike the US, we don’t declare seats based exit polls. It’s illegal to do so. A seat is only declared by the returning officer after all votes are counted.

[adamsermet]

Imagine count bin face going to meet the king. That’s a world I wanna live in.

[ThornyLittleFlower]

That chief mouser is Larry the cat. 🐈 He's been there through six prime ministers and is still going strong at 16 years old. 💪

[christopherflux]

To be fair, every UK Government since 1920 has been either Conservative or Labour. (With a few Coalitions) So it’s still a 2 party system. However minor party’s like the Lib Dem’s and SNP do get enough MPs to sometimes influence things. Also some local governments are run by the Lib Dem’s, SNP and even the Greens.

[speleokeir]

The Liberal Party:

They are a very old party centrist party who tend to have balanced moderate views/policies.

They were originally called the Whigs. In those days only the landed gentry could vote and the Whigs were the more moderate ones with the Tories being the right wing ones. They became known as the Liberal party in the 1850s.

The last fully liberal Government was in 1905-1915 under Asquith. During the war there was a major split in the party and after the War his rival, David Lloyd George, led a coalition Government (1918-1922) with the Tories which brought in a a number of very significant reforms such pensions, major health reforms such as setting up the Ministry for health, National Insurance, changes to child labour laws, etc.

In 1918 the vote was extended to all men over the age of 21 (1928 for women) and by 1924 the new Labour party quickly overtook the Liberal party as the main opposition to the Tories. for the hundred years since the Liberals have been the third party in British politics.

The first ever labour MP was Keir Hardy. The current Labour leader and new Prime Minster Keir Starmer was named after him. In fact pretty much everyone called Keir is named after Keir Hardy including myself.

N.B Americans have a very warped idea of what the word 'liberal' means. The same with Socilaism and Communism. This ignorance goes back to the paranoia of the 'Reds under the beds' McCarthy era of the 1950s.

For anyone who doesn't know liberal comes from the latin 'liber' which means 'free'.

Anyone who believes in democracy, the rule of law and free speech/freedom of expression, is open minded, tolerant and open to reform is a liberal.

[ricardolorrio]

things like the NHS, have suffered under the Tories... and the British public want the NHS...

[ythomitnellum]

Exit polls: we do them slightly differently to avoid the problem you mentioned. As people come out of the polling station random voters are given a mock ballot paper and asked to complete it in private replicating how they voted. Since 1992 they have been extremely accurate.

[KevFrost]

What you don't appreciate is that election night coverage is major entertainment. Apart from when results come through there's lots of empty time where they talk about the exit poll instead

[KateSander]

I think Liz Truss was probably having an emergency reboot there.

[tizzieblack]

Clearly we are more savvy about exit poiis. If the call is very close a recount can be called, but the result is never questioned. We enjoy exit polls more when they are way out - it's more entertaining. Nothing we like more than seeing the 'experts' proved wrong.