A Question for Politics / History Boffins 🤓

Ah thanks Maizie, that’s the GE I was thinking of.
She decided to do it when she was on a walking holiday with Mr May (I remember the poles)

FannyCornforth

But May did call for a GE, didn’t she? I can’t remember when.
I know that I should Google but I can’t be arsed

That was 2017. Completely and bafflingly unnecessary GE in which she actually lost the tory majority.

Didn’t she need a bigger majority to push through her brexit plans and assumed that no one would vote for Corbyn but miscalculated big time? Even though he lost the election he didn’t lose as badly as expected.

But May did call for a GE, didn’t she? I can’t remember when.
I know that I should Google but I can’t be arsed

Baggs

Isn't that what happened in 2019 over what has been called the Brexit deadlock?

No it's not really fitting FannyC's scenario. In 2019 May was elbowed out, Johnson was voted in as leader and took over as PM and then called a GE. I don't think he could be described as a 'failing leader', he'd barely got going.

I'm thinking about John Major in 1992..

Casdon

Edward Heath 1974 - the shenanigans then were what got me interested in politics as a young teenager.

Oh thank you.
I’ll educate myself about that.
I’ve always been moderately interested in politics, but it’s only since I stopped work that I’ve properly paid attention to it.
It’s quite time consuming!

Thanks all.

I realised what I needed to Google- ‘has anyone called for a GE and lost?’
Apparently, it happened to Balfour in 1906

Edward Heath 1974 - the shenanigans then were what got me interested in politics as a young teenager.

Yes, I expect so. Sorry if I’m sounding a bit thick.

I wondered has anyone done it knowing that it is definitely on the cards that they may very well lose?

May?

Isn't that what happened in 2019 over what has been called the Brexit deadlock?