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A8 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 4 May 2019
UK governing party takes Brexit battering in local elections

By JILL LAWLESS message. The party mem-
Associated Press ber heckled May, shouting
LONDON (AP) — Britain's "Why don't you resign? We
dominant political parties don't want you."
took a hammering in local The Conservatives and La-
elections as Brexit-weary bour are bracing for worse
voters expressed frustration results in the European Par-
over the country's stalled liament elections in three
departure from the Euro- weeks.
pean Union, according to Britain was due to have left
updated results Friday. the EU well before the Euro-
Almost three years after U.K. pean vote, but Brexit was
voters narrowly decided in postponed until Oct. 31 be-
a referendum to leave the cause May was unable to
EU, the date and terms of get lawmakers to approve
Brexit remain uncertain fol- her divorce deal with the
lowing months of gridlock EU. In truth, the message
in Parliament. sent by voters was loud
The results from Thursday's but far from clear. With the
local elections in England country still split over leav-
and Northern Ireland sug- ing the EU, the rejection of
gested voters blamed the both main parties reflected
governing Conservative frustration from both pro-
Party and to a lesser extent, Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May attends the Welsh Conservative party conference at Llangol- Brexit voters and supporters
the opposition Labour Party len, Wales, Friday May 3, 2019. of Britain's EU membership.
for the impasse. Associated Press "The people that voted to
Tallies reported Friday from remain blame us for leaving
almost all of the 259 local The left-of-center Labour ously had members filling tions as a whole carried a and the people that voted
authorities that had posi- Party fared less badly than about 60 percent of the "simple message" for both to leave blame us because
tions up for grabs showed the Tories, but lost around more than 8,000 seats that the Conservative and La- we haven't left yet," said
the Conservatives shed- 70 positions after hoping were contested. Elections bour parties: "Just get on Conservative politician Tim
ding more than 1,200 local to increase the number of didn't take place in Lon- and deliver Brexit." Warren, who lost his seat on
council seats, more than members serving as local don, Scotland or Wales. An audience member at a Bath and North East Som-
one-quarter of the ones it councilors. Conservative Prime Minister Conservative conference erset Council in southwest
had held. The Conservatives previ- Theresa May said the elec- in Wales had a blunter England.q

Australian prime minister rejects candidate's Islam posts

By ROD McGUIRK ugees from Syria and Iraq
Associated Press should not be resettled in
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) Tasmania.
— Australia's prime minister Morrison said neither he
said his Liberal Party reject- nor his party accepted her
ed the anti-Muslim views of views.
an election candidate who "Her views were her views
on Friday became the third and they do not repre-
to lose the conservative sent the views of the party
party's endorsement in as I lead," Morrison told re-
many days over their social porters. Another Liberal
media histories. candidate, Jeremy Hearn,
The scandals surrounding was dumped by the party
candidates have become Wednesday after a series
distractions for Prime Minis- of anti-Muslim comments
ter Scott Morrison and op- came to light. The House
position leader Bill Shorten candidate for Victoria
this week as they attempt state wrote online in 2016
to focus voters on policies that taxpayers should not
ahead of the May 18 elec- fund Muslim schools be-
tion. Candidates for both cause they were "foment-
the Liberal Party and the ing rebellion against the
center-left Labor Party op- government."
position quit on Friday over Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, left, and opposition leader Bill Shorten shake hands be- Also Wednesday, Peter Kil-
their online pasts. fore the Sky News/Courier Mail People's Forum in Brisbane, May 3, 2019. lin, who was running for the
Morrison had stood by Associated Press House in Victoria, resigned
Jessica Whelan, a Liberal from the party after secretly
candidate for the House screenshots of Whelan's Friday over further posts in Tasmania reported that attacking gay government
of Representatives in Tas- comments appeared to published in a newspaper a 2017 post called for a lawmaker Tim Wilson online
mania state, amid accu- have been doctored and overnight, conceding that national vote on whether in December and calling
sations on Thursday she a complaint had been she was responsible for Muslims should be allowed for party members to do
made anti-Muslim posts on made to police. some of them. into Australia. Another post more to prevent gays from
social media. Morrison said But Whelan stepped aside The Mercury newspaper reportedly argued that ref- being elected.q