UK Think Tank Head Says Conservatives Likely To Win In General Election By Narrow Majority

Nicholas Cobb, the chairman of the Westminster Russia Forum, a non-profit think tank promoting cultural, commercial and political relations between Russia and the United Kingdom, told Sputnik that the Conservative Party would most likely win, in what many consider to be the most important general election in a generation, by a narrow margin

LONDON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th December, 2019) Nicholas Cobb, the chairman of the Westminster Russia Forum, a non-profit think tank promoting cultural, commercial and political relations between Russia and the United Kingdom, told Sputnik that the Conservative Party would most likely win, in what many consider to be the most important general election in a generation, by a narrow margin.

The UK citizens headed to the polls on Thursday for a crucial general election, with Brexit and the National Health Service at the top of their concerns.

"I think there will be a small Conservative working majority probably without the Democratic Unionist Party. Numbers-wise I predict generally a small conservative election victory ... And the Conservative Party, for right or wrong, is the only party saying, to quote [Prime Minister] Boris Johnson, 'let's get the job done.' But it does resonate with a lot of people, people are quite happy now to have a resolution after three years of really tumultuous time," Cobb said.

The think tank chairman added that the voter turnout throughout the kingdom decreased as the public has grown tired of politics, calling it an "election fatigue."

"I don't think there is an appetite for more politics. ... People are seeing less interest in these high political points, because we have had a good 10 years of referendums, disruptive politics and the country now is divided," Cobb stated.

Whether or not the Labour Party or the Tories will gain victory in the elections, the diplomatic relations with Russia are unlikely to improve in the foreseeable future, according to the Westminster Russia Forum's head.

"I don't think it will make much difference, to be honest. Because whether Boris Johnson or Jeremy Corbyn [Labour leader] wins they are just the figureheads. If they argue for better relations with Russia then they will be those who do not want that and those who will, so whilst there might be appetite for it, they may not get very far because everything we have seen so far, particularly from the political angle, is that anyone who has argued for better relations has ultimately been contained," Cobb explained.

The relations between Russia and the United Kingdom soured last year over the poisoning of former double agent Sergey Skripal and his daughter on UK soil. London has accused Moscow of carrying out the attack, while Russian officials have refuted the allegations and stressed that Moscow has been denied access to the investigation and the Skripals themselves.