LONDON: Prime Minister Theresa May is poised to win Britain’s snap election but lose her parliamentary majority, a shock exit poll suggested on Thursday, in what would be a major blow for her leadership as Brexit talks loom. The poll showed May’s Conservatives on course to fall from 330 to 314 seats, short of an overall majority in the 650-seat House of Commons, after a troubled campaign overshadowed by two deadly terror attacks. The main opposition Labour party, led by leftist Jeremy Corbyn, meanwhile is projected to increase its number of seats from 229 to 266, according to the joint exit poll by Sky, the BBC and ITV news. The pound immediately tumbled after the poll. The election came at a pivotal time in British history as it negotiates a complicated exit from the European Union, the first country to leave the sixdecade- old bloc. The pro-European Liberal Democrats, who have campaigned for a second referendum that could keep Britain in the EU, were forecast to increase their seats from nine to 14. In Scotland, where First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has called for independence to avoid a “hard Brexit”, her Scottish National Party was tipped to lose seats but still dominate. All parties urged caution at the shock poll, with the final results not likely until early on Friday morning. The forecast Conservative victory is far smaller than suggested by opinion polls when she called the snap election at a time when her popularity was running high. Analysts had blamed the decline on May´s botched announcement of a reform in funding for elderly care, a strong grassroots campaign by Corbyn and the terror attacks, which have led to scrutiny of her time as interior minister before becoming prime minister. “It seems clear her gamble has not paid off,” said Paula Surridge, politics lecturer at Bristol University. M ay has said victory in the election will strengthen her hand in Brexit negotiations, expected to start on June 19, and officials in Brussels are hopeful it will allow her to make compromises in the talks. She has warned, however, that Britain could withdraw with no deal in place if the conditions imposed by the EU — particularly a divorce bill of up to 100 billion euros ($112 billion) — are deemed too tough. —Agencies
