2017 Election

Theresa May vs Jezza Corbyn - May becomes PM with a minority government

May makes a confidence and supply agreement with the DUP

April 2017, May announces she will call a GE in June - she was so far ahead in the polls that it was thought that she would gain a majority

May expected to be re-elected on an increased majority

instead, voters focused more on single issues, with Brexit being the core issue

proposals to make wealthier pensioners pay a share of NHS homecare was labelled the ‘Dementia Tax’
Corbyn’s anti-austerity message was well received
the focus of the Tory campagain on Theresa May as a powerul leader who offered ‘strong and stable’ leadership backfired, as she gave a series of lacklustre speeches
her decision to not attend the televised leader debates was further famaging

in contrast, Labour’s took Corbyn directly to the peolpe where he proved himself successful - with their slogan ‘For The Many, Not The Few’
near the end of the campaign, he had come close to May in polls
attempts by the Daily Mail to associate Corbyn with IRA terrorism had little traction with voters

The Results

by the end of the campaign, Tories had squandered their 20% poll lead and on the day of election, Labour received a 9.6% swing
Tories did well in Pro-Brexit areas and Labour did well in Pro-Remain areas
class and partisan dealignment was well under way
the media’s hostility towards Corbyn made no difference to the result
Conservative and Labour share of the vote was the biggest since 1970
an increase in use of social media was relevant