Britain faces confusion, uncertainty with hung parliament

British voters have added further confusion to the uncertainty confronting the UK's international partners, who have spent the past year trying to work out the consequences of the same electorate's decision to quit the European Union.

In a snap election called by Prime Minister Theresa May to endorse her mandate for a “strong and stable” stance in negotiations on Britain's withdrawal from the 28-member EU, voters denied her ruling Conservative Party an overall majority in the British Parliament.

What now looks like an ill-advised gamble to increase her parliamentary majority - the snap election was called on her initiative - leaves May in office but seriously weakened. The poll came barely a week before she is due to embark on talks on the terms of Britain's EU withdrawal.

May fought the election on a “Brexit” agenda, promising to take a tough line on maintaining Britain's rights in future relations with its European neighbors. Her Brexit promises, criticized for being thin on detail, were twinned with a pledge to tighten Britain's trade relationship with non-European partners such as China, India and the US.

In the event, the election result appears to have been driven more by domestic issues - taxation, welfare and pensions - than it was by the Brexit issue.

Two terrorist attacks during the campaign may also have affected the vote after opposition accusations that she had run down police numbers during her time in office.

Promises by the main opposition Labour Party to boost public spending, tax corporations and renationalize some sectors of the privatized economy appear to have boosted its support among people who had voted both for and against EU membership in last year's referendum.

Jeremy Corbyn, a left-wing Labour leader who had looked unelectable as prime minister a year ago, delivered one of the party's best ever results in a general election in terms of the percentage vote.

Labour, which had nominally opposed Brexit, studiously avoided the Europe issue in its campaign in an effort to attract back traditional voters who had voted “out”.

Despite its sometimes equivocal attitude towards Europe, Labour gained in areas that had voted last year to remain in the EU.

Corbyn remains in opposition despite Labour gains in Thursday's poll but his party may be able to count on tactical support from Liberal Democrats, Scottish Nationalists and others to constrain the weakened Conservative government.

All of the Liberal parliamentarians, many from the Labour Party, and a substantial wing of the Conservative Party campaigned against withdrawal from the EU last year, although a majority of MPs subsequently gave the formal go-ahead for Britain's departure.

The result will almost certainly not reverse the consequences of last year's referendum but it may temper May's threat of a “hard Brexit” if Britain fails to reach a satisfactory deal with the EU.

A year on, the UK's trading partners are still assessing the impact of the referendum on its relations with the world's sixth largest economy.

Few of Britain's trading partners welcomed the Brexit vote. For major economies such as China the UK had represented a gateway to the rest of Europe. The then US presidential candidate Donald Trump welcomed the Brexit vote but since taking office has made clear the UK, which has a trade surplus with the US, will not be at the top of the queue for a bilateral trade deal.

The uncertainties linked to the so-called hung parliament in Britain has already prompted European officials to suggest that the start of Brexit talks, due to be completed in two years, may have to be delayed.

Partners further afield may just have to watch and wait.

Harvey Morris is a senior media consultant for China Daily: contact him on harvey.morris@gmail.com