Mayhem: oil and equity markets caught off guard by UK election result
Yet more uncertainty will be negative for energy demand and stunt policy
Geopolitical risk and volatility have risen since the UK voted for Brexit in 2016. Now a country once known for its political stability has pulled off another shock. Having called an election to build a big parliamentary majority to back her Brexit plans, prime minister Theresa May failed in the 8 June election, losing seats and emerging deeply wounded. Her Conservative party clings to power, just, but will now depend on sympathetic members of a Northern Irish party. May's personal credibility is shattered. In a speech after the election, the prime minister said: "Let's get to work". But it will be another surprise if the Conservatives let her stay in Downing Street for long. By mid-morning
Also in this section
10 March 2026
Eni’s director for global gas and LNG portfolio, Cristian Signoretto, discusses how demand will respond to rising LNG supply, and how the company is expanding its own gas and LNG operations through disciplined, capital-efficient investments
9 March 2026
Petroleum Economist analysis sees increases in output from Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and Kazakhstan among others before region’s murky descent
9 March 2026
Energy sanctions are becoming an increasingly prominent tool of US foreign policy, with the country’s growth in oil and gas production allowing it to impose pressure on rivals without jeopardising its own energy security or that of its allies, argues Matthew McManus, a visiting fellow at the National Center for Energy Analytics
6 March 2026
The March 2026 issue of Petroleum Economist is out now!
