Labour reveals why the election exit poll just might be realistic

The exit poll released late on 8 June shocked a number of commentators. Even the BBC‘s Laura Kuenssberg said that, if it was accurate, it would show that Theresa May’s “high risk gamble” had gone “badly wrong”, and that she would be “diminished” as a result. And now, while remaining cautious, Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party is apparently feeling confident too.

Punishment for a terrible Tory campaign

In a statement, a Labour spokesperson said that a result like the one seen in the exit poll would be “extraordinary”. And they stressed that:

There’s never been such a turnaround in a course of a campaign. It looks like the Tories have been punished for taking the British people for granted.

The Conservative Party’s campaign was hopeless from start to finish, apparently relying on Tory cheerleaders in the corporate media to ensure them a clear victory. But as the Labour spokesperson argued:

Labour’s poll standing and Jeremy Corbyn’s standing surged as people were able to hear our message, policies and Jeremy directly.

They continued:

Labour has run a positive and honest campaign – we haven’t engaged in smears or personal attacks.

And indeed, for award-winning director Ken Loach, the predicted 34-seat gain for Labour would represent a real “triumph against the media presentation” of Jeremy Corbyn.

Voter engagement

Another area that the spokesperson praised was Labour’s registration drive, saying that:

Labour poured energy and resources into voter registration – and an extra 3 million people registered in the five weeks between the election being called and the deadline… It looks like their voice has been heard.

And it does indeed seem like voters have really engaged in this election:

Turnout estimated at 70% – big rise, this is what is being picked up in exit poll

— Faisal Islam (@faisalislam) June 8, 2017

Britain last saw a turnout above 70% in the 1990s.

If that’s what Corbyn’s party has managed to achieve within weeks, in spite of widespread media hostility, just imagine what it could have achieved if there was any semblance of balance or impartiality in the British media.

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Featured image via Wikimedia Commons