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posted by n1 on Monday April 24 2017, @12:43PM   Printer-friendly
from the opportunists dept.

Various news outlets are reporting that the UK's prime minister, Theresa May, has called for a general election to be held on 8 June. The Conservative Party Web site has a transcript of her public statement, which can also be heard in a video.

The call for a snap election has now been backed by parliament.

May surprised allies and opponents [...] when she announced her plan to bring forward an election that was not due until 2020, saying she needed to avoid a clash of priorities in the sensitive final stages of the two-year Brexit talks.

After addressing a rowdy session of the House of Commons, May won the support of 522 lawmakers in the 650-seat parliament for an election on June 8. Only 13 voted against.

With May seen winning a new five-year mandate and boosting her majority in parliament by perhaps 100 seats, the pound held close to six-and-a-half month highs on hopes she may be able to clinch a smoother, more phased departure from the EU and minimise damage to the UK economy.

[...] The former interior minister, who became prime minister without an election when her predecessor David Cameron quit after last year's referendum vote for Brexit, enjoys a runaway lead over the main opposition Labour Party in opinion polls.

This is a notable change from the position taken over the last few months where May had said after the EU referendum, a "period of stability" was needed. "There isn’t going to be one. It isn’t going to happen. There is not going to be a general election," said the prime minister's spokesman less than a month ago.

Coverage (many of these are editorials):


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  • (Score: 2) by isostatic on Tuesday April 25 2017, @11:16AM

    by isostatic (365) on Tuesday April 25 2017, @11:16AM (#499233) Journal

    Actions speak louder than words, and so far they've been backing May to the hilt.

    The massive increase in support for the Lib Dems since the referendum - including 30% swings to Lib Dems in remain constituencies, and even in Copeland which Labour lost in a near-unprecedented failure, there was a 9 point swing from Labour to Lib Dem.

    Alas the tories have gone full UKIP and are hoovering all the ukip vote up. Labour also tried over the last year, have realised they've failed, and are now rowing round in circles.

    Unfortunatly the Lib Dems are cocking up this election so far, no media presence at all.

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