Mrs May has probably ended any talk of or actual snap elections in the future by her successors

The last ten years in British politics have been the most dramatic ten years I can recall in peace time. We’ve had, inter alia, the great financial crisis, the coalition government, the Scottish Independence referendum, the SNP tsunami, the Lib Dem wipe out of 2015, which saw David Cameron become the only Tory to win a majority in the last 25 years, the rise of Corbyn, and of course Brexit.

Interestingly these ten years have been bookended by a mandate-less Prime Minister trashing their reputation with a needless snap election, or speculation therein, memorably in Gordon Brown’s case when one of his minister’s wrote publicly in September 2007 ‘Shortly there will be an election, in which Labour will increase its majority.’

As seems likely Mrs May’s tenure as Prime Minister ends before the next general election the one thing that seems certain is that her successor  won’t be doing is holding a snap election, even if the polls show them 25% ahead, apart from the fear of running a truly terrible campaign, one thing the 2017 general election has confirmed is that voters don’t like be asked to vote again for partisan reasons nor do they like politicians who break their word so spectacularly.

Exactly one year ago Mrs May became Prime Minister very few, including Mrs May, would have thought within a year she’d be forever be associated with the greatest act of hubris since Emperor Palpatine allowed the Rebel Alliance to know the location of the second Death Star.

Happy anniversary Prime Minister.

TSE