CBUT - Monday, May 27, 2024 - 09:00 a.m. (ET) - Segment #2

>>> Read more from rosa about the scam on our website cbc news.ca including tips on how to protect yourself to make sure you don't fall victim to a scam like this. >>> That's the latest national and international news from world report. For news anytime check out the cbc news app. [ ] [ ] >> Stephen: thank you. Good monday morning to you. It's the 27th of may, I'm stephen quinn and this is the early edition on cbc radio one. Lots coming your way in this half hour of the program. Of course july 4th is independence day and also election day in great britain. That news last week, a general election held on that day with a strong lead for the labour party. What would a change in government mean here in canada? We will talk to a professor from sfu in just a moment but right now robert zimmerman is here with the local news headlines. >> Food bank canada giving bc its latest already report. >>> And abbotsford woman displaced by two separate disasters is calling for more mental health supports and thousands of people forced from their fort nelson homes more than two weeks ago can start returning later this morning. More local news at 6:30. >> No crashes or stalls to tell you about. All roads moving smoothly but some traffic volume building northbound on highway 91 for the alex fraser bridge and also highway one westbound through quick wit lemon other than that just be aware of some early morning fog near the fraser river. If you see a problem you can safely let us know. Text us at (236) 330-2623. We already heard from karen in south surrey. Lovely to hear from you. Weather today is cloudy and not sunny. It looks like scattered showers over northern sections of metro vancouver with a high of 16. We are not really getting a full clearing until maybe thursday. I will be back in ten minutes with another look at traffic and weather. >> Stephen: thank you so much. It's coming up on 12 minutes after 6:00. This is the early edition on cbc radio one. Thank you for being with us this morning. We are certainly -- it looks like we are going to get a british election, absolutely we will. People in britain will head to the polls on the fourth of july in a general election with a strong lead for the opposition party. What will a change in government -- in government mean for canada wheat we will hear about that right now. A senior lecturer of political science from sfu joins us on the line from liverpool this morning. Good morning, claire. >> Good morning, stephen. >> Stephen: I understand you were in the uk win the election was called. What was the reaction on the ground? >> Complete shock really. It's very unusual for a prime minister to choose to call an election when they are 20 points behind the poll because he could have waited to as late as january of next year. >> Stephen: was there any pressure on rishi sunak to be calling this election? >> Not that we know of. There are a few rumours going around that mps were gearing up to declare a no confidence against him that is always a secret that happens behind the scenes so we by definition don't know for sure if that was what was really happening. >> Stephen: what is the consensus amongst commentators about what will happen in the weeks to come? This is fairly close, the fourth of the lot -- fourth of july. >> It is. Six weeks away. Most commentators in the uk are really surprised that he called it. The consensus was that people weren't expecting an election. He could have gone until january at the latest. And most people don't really understand why he is calling this when he is so far behind. To give you context, a poll came out yesterday where data is collected after the election and there is a 22-point gap between the opposition party and the conservatives. No government party has ever come back from such a gap before in an election. >> Stephen: it almost seems like it's an if the -- inevitable so let's get it over with. >> There are a few jokes going around on rishi sunak looking at when the california school year

starts. I don't think that is what is going on but it gives you an idea of how confused people are about why he called it so early. >> Stephen: what would you consider the conservative rule over the past nine years now? >> Fourteen years. >> Stephen: 14 years! Pardon me. >> Eventful. Chaotic. We've had five prime ministers in those 14 years. If you think back before that from 1979 into 2010 we only have three prime ministers. So that was the most in my lifetime and now suddenly the tories have been in power and there have been five prime ministers and three in the space of a month a couple years ago in 2022. We've had brexit, a great deal of division across the country. The scotch independent vote which was not that much in the end and shows you some of the issues about the tension in northern ireland over brexit and then a very near natural catastrophe. Definitely eventful. >> Stephen: and you've had boris johnson as well on top of all of that. >> Yes, I didn't even mention him, did i. I guess brexit has become synonymous with boris johnson and quite a lot of harm was done to the integrity of the institution during his premiership and you are obviously aware of his party gate scandal. His party during lockdown but what was really damaging about that was that he was found by a committee of his own mps to have lied to parliament about what happened there and that is incredibly serious. If the prime minister today misleads parliament then the whole system falls apart really. >> Stephen: I have to admit that a lot of where I hear about british politics comes from a character by the name of jonathan pye who you are probably familiar with, a comedian and comments on british politics. But overall when I read about the uk it sounds to me over the course of conservative rule that things have become worse for working people and brutus -- british institutions have started to come apart even more so than they have in the past. Would you think that has been the result? >> Certainly with the cost of living. I know it's been back in canada as well but inflation reached its height and thinking what that does to people with daily shopping bills and the price of groceries. People are really struggling. The prices have really, really shot up so that is the one thing people are really concerned about. Housing, again, similar to canada. People can't afford to rent and that is a real issue. Then yes, public services. Particularly with access to healthcare. >> Stephen: tell me about what the impact could be on canada. We already know that canada is under the gun when it comes to nato and the fact that we are supposed to be spending 2 percent and we really never have and have never really come close. >> It will be a stark difference because in the run-up to this election rishi sunak said we are not just going to bring spending up to 2 percent but up to 2.5 percent which is a huge difference. That is going to put a lot of pressure if they say below 2 percent. You saw last week with justin trudeau, including with democrats saying what he is doing with spending. >> Stephen: another issue. When it comes to the economy and trade between canada and the uk, in the post brexit world what do we see happening there as a result of an election? >> The major argument was that the uk would have the freedom to pursue trade deals and so the current conservative government is being keen to show that and they did sign a future agreement with canada but they were to increase that and spread it to services including digital services and that stalled late last year partly because of an argument over wanting to seek protection from the agricultural industry.

so really one of the trade deals they thought would be the easiest has just stalled so it will be interesting to see the labour government pick that up or if they will want to rebuild the relationship with the european union. >> Stephen: current polling suggests that it will be an easy victory for the labour party. Is that true and is that the case? >> Yes, i. But they did historically bad in the last election in 2019. The worst result they've had since long before the war and just as I was saying that no government has ever come back from being 20 points in the poll but equally no opposition has ever had the swing they would need from 2019 results to this year to get into government. That said, I think they will do it. And the 2019 election was much different and a lot of things have happened since then including covid. I think they will do it but it will be a huge achievement if they do. >> Stephen: thank you for taking the time with us. We appreciate it. >> You too. >> Stephen: take care. Goodbye. That is clear from simon fraser university and she joined us from liverpool this morning. If you have anything to add you can call our talkback line. (604)662-6690. Or you can text us about anything you are seeing or hearing this morning at (236) 330-2623. (236) 330-2623. We will keep an eye out for your texts as always. Charis is back with traffic and weather. >> Got a text from maurice, apparently oak street is calm so far but maurice saw a coyote crossing oak street. >> Stephen: there you go. >> Thank you for that. No crashes or stalls to tell you about just traffic volume building northbound highway 91 for the alex fraser bridge and westbound through coquitlam. At the bc ferries, tsawwassen to swartz bay, your next available sailing is 7:00 am and swartz bay to tsawwassen, 7:00 am is your next available sailing. Metro vancouver whether today, cloudy with scattered showers over the northern section with a high of 16. Another traffic and weather update in ten minutes. >> Stephen: we've been doing this for a while now but it's official now. We are talking about it openly and officially launching it. Connected to news updates in bc. You can, from today, watch a 24/7 streaming channel called cbc news bc with news and information from british columbia all day long and of course you can watch the early edition beginning at 6:00 am. We still start at 5:30 on the radio but you can watch on tv and video online or cbc gem beginning at 6:00 and that takes us right through until 8:37 until the program is over. Live newscasts throughout the rest of the morning and of course you will see michelle eliot on bc today through the noon hour and then gloria macarenko and the "on the coast" gang from three until six every day. We are not dressing any differently, as far as I know. Maybe got a haircut. I now have a coma at my desk where I never had before. And radio you have the impression we walked out wearing our pyjamas, unshaved, at least me. Not true. We do have to put clothing on now. >> We do have to put clothes on now but it's cool that people can now watch the radio. If they are wondering what you are wearing today they can tune in and see this delightful shirt you have on. >> I talked about it on other programs, this is a replacement shirt. An identical one to the one my dog ate and it took me a while to find a replacement. This one comes from red deer, alberta. >> I quite like it. >> Stephen: quick, tune in and see this sure! You have to see the shirt! [ Laughter ] you can find us on the cbc news app. You can find us on the video tab there. Looked, it's 24 minutes after 6:00 and I've been yapping this whole time and I'm supposed to be talking about song. The edmonton oilers, a five-game series now. Each team has one when a piece. Even though edmonton eliminated vancouver are you going to get

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