Big victory for Johnson, disaster for Labour in polls, what’s next?

So it was a landslide, after all.

Most pollsters had cautiously predicted a Conservative victory but Boris Johnson’s Tories were returned to power in the December 12 election with a thumping 80-seat majority.

Prime Minister Johnson promptly took steps to hasten the process of withdrawal from Europe while the defeated Labour party began arguing about who would replace the outgoing party leader, Jeremy Corbyn. The chances are it will be a woman.

The drive to “Get Brexit done” and leave Europe asap was taken by many as the prime reason for the victory, though the unpopularity of Mr Corbyn and the vague nature of the party’s position on Europe might have been equally damning.

The first pointer to the size of the Conservative victory came early, just after 11.30 on election night, when the Tory blues seized the former Labour stronghold of Blyth Valley in the northeast of England.

It was the first breach in what had hitherto been a red wall of Labour constituencies in the north.

NEW SPEAKER

Informal photos of Johnson watching television with his girlfriend Carrie showed the PM leaping with joy when the result was announced.

Mr Johnson was said to have expected victory, but only by a slender margin, while Carrie more bullishly predicted a 25-seat majority.

What next? After receiving permission from the Queen to form a new government and then touring the north of England to thank his new supporters there, Premier Johnson turned his attention to Parliament.

First, the scheduled election of a new Speaker, then the State opening, then introduction of the Withdrawal Agreement Bill.

Mr Johnson announced a new clause would be added to the bill to make it illegal for Parliament to extend the process of negotiation beyond the end of next year.

At present, the transition period is due to conclude in December 2020 but can be extended for up to two years if Britain and Europe agree.

BREXIT DEBATE

Critics say ruling out a possible extension would raise the chance of Britain leaving without a deal, a prospect that terrifies business.

Shadow Brexit Secretary Sir Keith Starmer denounced the move as “reckless and irresponsible”.

Government sources say that having a hard deadline will focus the minds of both sets of negotiators.

Some senior European Union figures, including the bloc’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, are sceptical that a deal can be agreed within that time.

Since Mr Johnson campaigned primarily on the promise that he would get Brexit done and dusted, the length of the negotiations is a crucial factor for him.

Well, we will see.

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When a passenger abused a Jewish family on a London tube train, who came to their defence? A headscarf-wearing Muslim woman!

Asma Shuweikh was hailed as a hero after mobile phone footage of the incident went viral.

It showed a black man asking a father and his two small sons, who were wearing skull caps, if they were Jewish.

He then ranted that “Jews started the slave trade” and they belonged to “the synagogue of Satan”.

It was at that point that Ms Shuweikh intervened to stop the tirade. “Being the mother of two, I know what it’s like to be in that situation,” she said.

A man, aged 35, was later held in Birmingham on suspicion of committing a racially aggravated public order offence.

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The equality gap between men and women has narrowed slightly worldwide, but in Britain it has widened.

According to a 2019 survey by the World Economic Forum, this country slipped from 15th to 21st place in national rankings, partly because of a decline in the number of women as government ministers.

The Swiss-based Forum said the UK also had a persistent economic gender gap due to big differences between men and women’s earned income, especially in engineering and computing.

On the plus side, Britain took first place in literacy and enrolment in tertiary education.

Despite international progress, the Forum said it would take 108 years to close the global gap between men and women.

It rated Iceland, Norway and Finland as the three top countries for gender equality, with Pakistan, Iraq and Yemen the worst.

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Christmas is a time for fun and family, gifts and good food, but it comes at a cost. According to the latest research, Britons spend nearly £1,000 (Ksh130,963) each for the festive season.

A study by the credit services provider Lowell found that we spend an average of £973 per person, of which £316 goes on gifts for family, £213 on gifts for friends, £141 on food and £68 on drinks.

Only half of 2,000 adults polled said they put money aside to finance their Christmas spending.

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The little girl asked her daddy, Do all fairy stories begin, “Once upon a time?” Not at all, said her father. Some begin, “If I am elected…”

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