UK Snap Election: 'Things Fall Apart; the Centre Cannot Hold'

On this episode of Hard Facts, John discusses the significance of, and controversy surrounding the UK Prime Minister's decision to hold a general election, in the company of Henry MacLeish, former leader of the Scottish Labour Party and First Minister of Scotland.

The decision of Britain's Prime Minister, Theresa May, to call an early general election has added another layer to the ongoing political crisis that has engulfed Westminster in the wake of Brexit. It will be a plebiscite on support for SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon's call for a second referendum on Scottish independence, and it will also be a key test when it comes to the fortunes of Jeremy Corbyn's leadership of the Labour Party.

And what is the relevance of this general election in the UK for Europe? In the wake of the defeat suffered by the far right at the ballot box in the Netherlands, and the likelihood of Marine Le Pen's defeat to the centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron, are we now witnessing a push back by the center against the rising tide of the right and far right that has been taking place across Europe in recent years?

In the words of WB Yeats, "Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."

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