GENERAL ELECTION

• The Conservative party secured the most seats but failed to win a majority in Thursday’s shock election. Theresa May will form a government with the help of Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party on a ‘confidence and supply’ The Queens’s Speech has been delayed while negotiations take place.

ELECTION FALL-OUT

• MPs are expected to raise concerns about May’s election campaign and leadership and press her on talks with the DUP.
• Manifesto policies reportedly under threat include: triple-lock on pensions, winter fuel allowance, repeal fox hunting ban, funding of social care, extension of grammar schools.
• Michael Gove has re-entered the cabinet as Environment Minister in a limited reshuffle.
• Brexit Secretary, David Davis said government needs to get “back to work” and any speculation in the Conservative party about a leadership contest would be the “absolute height of self-indulgence.”

LABOUR PARTY

• After increasing his share of the vote by 9.6% on Thursday, Jeremy Corbyn has said he could still be prime minister, and that Labour will set out its own programme for government as an amendment to the Queen’s Speech, focusing on austerity and a “jobs-first Brexit”.
• Ed Miliband could make a return to the front bench after previously criticising his predecessor.

SCOTTISH NATIONALIST PARTY

• The SNP suffered heavy losses in Scotland with senior party members losing their seats, including deputy leader Angus Robertson and former first minister Alex Salmond.
• Nicola Sturgeon has said she will reflect on her decision to call for another Independence Referendum in the wake of the result.

BREXIT

• Nicola Sturgeon has called for a pause in Brexit negotiations, which are due to start on Thursday.
• Brexit Secretary David Davis has hinted the government will pursue a “softer Brexit” after losing seats in an election May called to strengthen her hand.
• Negotiations could be postponed for a year if Theresa May insists on discussing a new trade relationship at the same time as Britain’s divorce bill.

BUSINESS

• The Institute of Directors’ lobby group has found a “dramatic drop” in business confidence following the hung parliament.
• The pound has steadied against the US dollar and the Euro today (12.06) after falling 2% when exit polls showed the Conservatives had lost their majority.

HOUSING

• Estate agency Knight Frank estimated that 5.79 million households would rent from a private landlord by 2021, up from five million in 2017.

COMING UP

• Brexit negotiations are set to begin between the UK and EU no Monday, 19 Jun

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