Theresa May calls for June general election

Speaking outside 10 Downing Street, the UK Prime Minister Theresa May announced today her plans to seek a general election for June 8. May accused the opposition parties of threatening the government’s Brexit agenda and cited the need for Parliament to unite during the negotiations over the specifics of the Brexit, the UK’s exit from the European Union.

Under the Fixed Term Parliament Act, members of parliament must approve the snap election by a two-thirds vote in favor. MPs were set to vote on Wednesday. The vote was expected to pass (according to whom? Wikinews articles can not include opinions. please attribute), with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn saying he supported having an election this June.

May, who became Prime Minister after the resignation of David Cameron in the aftermath of the Brexit vote, would seek to strengthen her mandate and expand her majority in the House of Commons. The opposition Labour party was behind in the polls, however, May might (according to whom? whose opinion? Wikinews articles can not include opinions. please attribute) be challenged by the Scottish National Party, which anticipated a strong showing after Scotland overwhelmingly voted to remain in the EU, and the Liberal Democrats.

The move was unexpected, as the Prime Minister said earlier that an election would not take place to allow for a united front on Brexit negotiations.