British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his conservatives won a significant victory in yesterday's election and increased the size of their majority, but the future of Britain's "Brexit" may not be as certain as the results tell us.
Johnson, who made the Brexit the centerpiece of his campaign and pledged to deliver it, says it's time to stop talking about the thing he promised.
Results from the 650 parliamentary constituencies around the United Kingdom showed that Johnson’s Conservative Party had trounced its main opponent, winning 365 seats to the Labour Party’s 203, the best win for the Conservatives since 1987.
“I frankly urge everyone on either side of what are, after 3.5 years, an increasingly arid argument, I urge everyone to find closure and to let the healing begin,” Johnson said outside Downing Street.
“I know that after five weeks, frankly, of electioneering, this country deserves a break from wrangling, a break from politics and a permanent break from talking about Brexit.”
Johnson says Britain deserves a break after talking about the Brexit for "five weeks" in a row, but the Brexit is due to occur in about five more weeks. You may recall the Brexit was delayed until the last week of January.
Now, although Johnson and his conservatives won an apparently decisive victory, exit polls from the election show that public sentiment has turned further against the Brexit and it remains to be see how committed to it parliament's freshmen will be. I think we can expect to see significant protests in the weeks and months ahead if Johnson and the new conservative majority moves ahead with it.
I'm not fluent enough in British politics to explain why the public elected a greater majority of conservatives if they don't want the Brexit but, as an American, I can relate to the experience of watching my fellow citizens electing politicians who will actively harm, rather than improve, the quality of their lives.
I would not be surprised if the Brexit is delayed beyond next month's deadline even if Johnson has the majority he needs to finish it.