There is goin to happen general eletions in the United Kingdom on 12 December, 2019,  which will determine the fortune of the UK whether or not remain in the European Union.  It should be noted that the UK has been fighting for solving BREXIT problem for three years, where the political society is deeply divided between pro or anti-EU supporters.  

Francis Sealey, the founder of GlobalNet21 public engagement organisation gave an exclusive interview to Eurasia Diary concerning general elections in the United Kingdom on Thursday.  GlobalNet21 aims to bring new communities and audiencies in discussing some of big issues by using social networks. Francis Sealey is also a former Producer at the BBC and he  has extensive experience about local communities and the use of social media.

There are general elections in the UK on 12 December, which will be one of the important events in the history of Britain. What expectations could happen in the fortune of the country after elections?

It really depends on who wins the Election. If the Prime Minister wins with  great majority, we will be leaving the EU and trying to negotiate trade deals around the world and especially with the EU and the USA - and that will take longer and be more difficult than people realize. If the Opposition wins, we will be heading for a second referendum and everything will be on hold.

According to numerous polls, Conservative party is still stronger than other parties among people. What reasons keep them in power?

What has kept them in power is the British Electoral system that is called “first past the post” and that means whoever comes first in any constituency gets to hold the seat. Even though other candidates get far more votes among citizens, the winner takes all. This put consequence that a Party can get a majority in the House of Commons without a majority of the votes - and can even do so with the mid 30% of support in the country. This great tension can lead to instability.

Supporters of leaving campaign still hold majority in the UK. Three parties-Tories, UKIP and Brexit parties are cornerstones of this campaign. However, Brexit party is weak among supporters. What is the reason for this?

It is not necessary to consider that pro-Leave voters are still in the majority, also opinion poll now puts Remain ahead. Pro-Leave campaign's strentgh in poll position is ordinary, because the Conservative party has stolen much of the Brexit Party’s policies and its backing. Potential Brexit voters have  moved to the Conservatives. So pro-Leave voters are concentrating under the name Conservatives, whilst the Remain voters are more split  that cause few positve results, despite Labour goes up in the polls.

What political party in the UK is relevant to carry out the solution for problems in domestic policy?

The Labour Party has the best policies around domestic issues in fields of health, education and social care, and is the only major Party to advocate a Green Deal. But its spending policies are very ambitious, and whether it can deliver on what remainers want to see. The Prime Minister has promised extra spending on domestic services, but there are questions about whether  could it create new money.

After the end of general elections, what changes could be expected in the UK foreign relations with European Union and the United States?

If the Prime Minister wins, he will try to forge closer links with the USA, though he could face difficulties that  he shoud be more subservient to it. If the Opposition wins, they will focus more on Europe and the developing world. They will try to move away from dependence on the USA, but  they could find it hard to do. If the Prime Minister elected,  he also could find it difficult to leave the Europen Union where most of our trade lays. So there will be a shift of emphasis, but it could not be as dramatic as some people think

Interview by Yunis Abdullayev