Back on 18th April everyone was in complete shock after Theresa May announced there would be a general election on 8th June.
Not only does this snap election give candidates just 7 weeks to prepare, it is also 3 years earlier than initially expected, leaving many to speculate on why it had been moved forward. The general consensus appears to be that due to Theresa May not officially being elected as Prime Minister, but rather stepping forward to lead the country after David Cameron stood down, another election would be more democratic, through the people being able to vote for their Prime Minister, rather than one being forced upon them.
However, those who oppose the Conservatives fear the election is being held because Theresa May believes she is sure to win, and therefore by winning an election it’ll further consolidate her power and she’ll be able to push legislation through parliament that she has previously been held back on.
Closer to Exeter, Ben Bradshaw from the Labour party is the current MP for the area, and will be standing again for this election; arguably the most likely candidate to win due to him having been MP for the Exeter constituency since 1997, and at the most recent election in 2015 he trebled his majority of votes.
Ben Bradshaw has said that “I am currently the only non-Conservative MP this side of Bristol and I believe it is important for the health of our democracy that we maintain at least one voice who will challenge the Conservative Government and fight for Exeter’s interests.” Bradshaw is known for having been a big supporter of the pro-remain campaign, however despite being a Labour MP he firmly emphasises he is not in support of all of Jeremy Corbyn’s actions, and rather states you are voting for him, not necessarily the Labour party as a whole.
The Guild have emphasised the importance of all the students making sure they are registered to vote, something that can be done online, and takes as little as 5 minutes to do. A University spokesperson has said “Regardless of your political persuasion, the forthcoming election is undoubtedly the most important of a generation. Students can be register to vote at home and in the location of their study, so we would urge every student to register ahead of the 22 May deadline. The Guild will be running events in the build up to the election with a number of student groups to engage as many people as possible.” It is important to be voting in the constituency you think your vote will have the biggest impact; whether that is your term time one or where you reside in the holiday.
