British Prime Minister Theresa May has called a general election for June 8. Here’s a brief look at what happens now, and what’s at stake.
Why did May make her move?
May took office in July following an internal Conservative leadership contest, after predecessor David Cameron stepped down when voters rejected his call to remain in the EU.
She said that since Britons voted to leave the EU in June, the country had come together, but politicians had not.
Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May speaks to the media outside her official residence of 10 Downing Street in London, Tuesday April 18, 2017. British Prime Minister Theresa May announced she will seek early election on June 8. /AP Photo
“If we do not hold a general election now their political game-playing will continue, and the negotiations with the European Union will reach their most difficult stage in the run-up to the next scheduled election. Division in Westminster will risk our ability to make a success of Brexit and it will cause damaging uncertainty and instability to the country. So we need a general election and we need one now, because we have at this moment a one-off chance to get this done while the European Union agrees its negotiating position and before the detailed talks begin.”
Is it a done deal?
British prime ministers used to have the power to call elections at will, but the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act, passed in 2011, makes things more complicated. Under the act, national elections are held every five years, in May. The prime minister can call an early election if two-thirds of lawmakers support it.
May will ask the House of Commons to vote on the snap election on Wednesday. Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the main opposition Labor Party, has said he welcomes an election, meaning the election call will almost certainly pass.
What’s at stake?
Negotiations to leave the EU will be arduous. The talks will deal with money, trade, defense, to name but a few key topics. If May were to gain more seats, she would be able to have more freedom to pursue her own agenda, and to neutralize those inside and outside her own party who disagree with her positions.
How does it work?
Britain has 650 constituencies from which voters select a local lawmaker. The party with the most lawmakers wins a working majority and is allowed to install its leader as prime minister and implement its manifesto promises.
Who would win?
Elections are always unpredictable, but bookmakers consider May’s Conservative Party a strong favorite to win. Opinion polls released last weekend showed the Conservatives with a double-digit lead over the opposition Labor Party, which has been weakened by a split between moderates and left-wing leader Corbyn.
Are there risks?
Anytime a leader goes to the people for a vote, there are risks, as Cameron learned to his peril when he lost the vote on Britain’s departure from the EU just over a year after winning re-election.
(Source: AP)
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