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PaperclipPerfector  11mo ago (text post)   2101 thread views

Transnational Thursday for May 23, 2024

Transnational Thursday is a thread for people to discuss international news, foreign policy or international relations history. Feel free as well to drop in with coverage of countries you’re interested in, talk about ongoing dynamics like the wars in Israel or Ukraine, or even just whatever you’re reading.

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And they're off. Rishi Sunak has called a (technically early) General Election in the UK, Polling Day is 4th July. Effortpost to follow. Feel free to post questions you want me to cover.

Is this because they know something we don't and are trying to limit their losses by holding the election before an anticipated October surprise?

A couple of factors off the top of my head:

  • the national mood tends to peak in the spring / summer so a good time for the incumbent to call an election
  • inflation data came out just before the announcement which allows the government to declare victory on bringing it under control

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