British Elections Exit Polls surprising

9 Jun, 2017

LONDON: Prime Minister Theresa May is poised to win Britain´s snap election but lose her parliamentary majority, a shock exit poll suggested Thursday, in what would be a major blow for her leadership as Brexit talks loom.

The poll showed May´s Conservatives on course to fall from 330 to 314 seats, short of an overall majority in the 650-seat House of Commons, after a troubled campaign overshadowed by two deadly terror attacks.

The main opposition Labour party, led by leftist Jeremy Corbyn, meanwhile is projected to increase its number of seats from 229 to 266, according to the joint exit poll by Sky, the BBC and ITV news.

The pound immediately tumbled after the poll.

The election came at a pivotal time in British history as it negotiates a complicated exit from the European Union, the first country to leave the six-decade-old bloc.

The pro-European Liberal Democrats, who have campaigned for a second referendum that could keep Britain in the EU, were forecast to increase their seats from nine to 14.