The second pointer is that foreign affairs, though rarely a major factor in any country’s national elections, can contribute to a general sense of unease about political leadership. It had been widely assumed that the UK’s continued membership in the European Union would be a leading campaign issue, given the rise of the UK Independence Party and Cameron’s pledge that, if re-elected, he would hold a referendum on the question by 2017.
第二个教益则是外交事务——虽然在任何国家的大选中都不太起主导作用——可以强化人们对政治领导人的总体不信任感。外界原本认为由于英国独立党的崛起以及卡梅伦承诺如果连任将在2017举行公投，英国会否留在欧盟将成为本次大选的核心议题。