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British PM Calls Snap Election For June 2017
Topic Started: Apr 18 2017, 10:22 AM (157 Views)
Webster
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.....apparently, we're headed to election time in the U.K. in about 6-7 weeks or so.....

(The Guardian) Theresa May to make statement in Downing Street at 11.15
--The BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg has tweeted (the following)....

(1) PM making a statement in Downing Street at 1115 - only normally used for most serious moments
(2) Watch election rumour mill go crazy.... has May decided to go for it?
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Webster
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(The Guardian) No 10 says parliament to be dissolved 3 May
--Theresa May’s spokesman told journalists at the Number 10 lobby briefing that the prime minister talked to the Queen by phone on Monday before she made the announcement.

If the vote is passed to call the election by the necessary two-thirds majority in the Commons – this would need 434 votes – then parliament would be dissolved later, 25 working days before the general election. That means dissolution on 3 May.

The spokesman said Brexit negotiations would carry on even amid the election.

“Everything continues as at present,” he said.

Asked why May had changed her mind over the idea of an early election, her spokesman said he could add nothing more to the prime minister’s statement in Downing Street, where she said she had “recently and reluctantly” decided that an election was the only way to guarantee stability.
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Webster
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(The Guardian) Despite Sinn Féin demands for a second Northern Ireland assembly election if talks aimed to restore devolution fail, it appears no such poll will be held on the same day as the 8 June general election.

The Northern Ireland Office said today any local assembly election was a function of what happens at the inter-party negotiations in Belfast. The prime minister’s announcement will not have any bearing on separate election to a new devolved parliament at Stormont, the NIO confirmed.

At the weekend the Sinn Féin president, Gerry Adams, called for a local assembly election if the parties cannot reach an agreement on a power-sharing government. But Unionists, including the MP Jeffrey Donaldson, insist that the failure in talks will result in short-term “creeping” of direct rule from London.

However, the general election across the UK will surely colour the discussions between nationalists and Unionists, which resume this week. Every election in Northern Ireland, even a UK-wide one, is essentially a headcount between the two main communities in the region, which means inevitably that the contest will be divisive and will impact upon the talks. One early thing to watch out for will be calls from Unionist politicians for a Unionist unity electoral pact for the 8 June poll.
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Webster
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(The Guardian) Jess Phillips, Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley, said she was “a bit in shock” at Theresa May’s announcement.

I think that Theresa May has lied to the country again and again - and she is being opportunistic. I think it is rubbish what she is saying about a country divided - she obviously doesn’t live round where I live. People just want to get on with their lives. She’s playing a game and its a shame. I don’t think there was any appetite for a general election from the public and this is Westminster politics once again.

Sir Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary, said the country was more divided than it ever had been during his lifetime. He said that represented “a complete failure by Theresa May to bring the country together behind a bold and confident future for Britain outside the EU”. He went on: Every step of the way Labour has sought to put the national interest first and to build a national consensus around our future relationship with the EU – not as members, but as partners.

That is why Labour did not frustrate the article 50 process in parliament. It is why Labour has set six tests for the final Brexit deal that would deliver the best possible deal for everyone in Britain, whether they voted remain or leave.

This general election is a result of the prime minister’s failure to build a national consensus. It is also an opportunity for Labour to set out an inclusive, progressive and ambitious future for Britain.
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Webster
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(The Guardian) The SNP’s Mhairi Black, the youngest MP elected to parliament in more than 350 years, has confirmed she will be standing in the election after threatening to stand down because she hates Westminster. Black tweeted that the vote was a opportunity to reject the Conservatives’ agenda...

--I will be standing again in GE. This is our opportunity to once again reject the Tories’ agenda and provide a strong voice for Scotland. (Mhairi Black, Scottish National Party MP for Paisley & Renfrewshire South - 17 April 2017)

Last month she told the Sunday Post that Westminster was a “waste of time.” She said: “It has been nearly two years and I still hate the place.
-Read more: https://www.sundaypost.com/fp/snp-mp-mhairi-black-on-hating-being-at-westminster-age-comments-and-why-she-might-not-stand-for-re-election/
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Webster
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(The Guardian) Arron Banks is due to launch his campaign to become an MP at Clacton on Thursday, possibly as a Ukip candidate, writes Robert Booth.

The insurance millionaire who previously bankrolled the Leave.EU Brexit campaign and Ukip, last month angrily quit the party, saying they were “never, ever getting back together” after a bitter row over political direction. But he is now to meet Nigel Farage and Ukip officials on Wednesday to discuss whether he should stand as the party’s candidate, against Douglas Carswell, the incumbent MP who quit Ukip last month to sit as an independent.

Banks had intended to launch his own political movement, the Patriotic Alliance, on 5 May. He wanted to put up several hundred candidates against anti-Brexit MPs in an attempt to “drain the swap” at Westminster of what he considered careerist politicians, in a deliberate echo of campaign rhetoric used by the US president, Donald Trump. But May’s decision to call the general election has come too soon as he does not have a list of candidates in place. “Whether Banks stands as an independent, Patriotic Alliance or Ukip, those things are all up for discussion,” said Andy Wigmore, Banks’s spokesman. “We were due to launch it on 5 May, but events supersede everything. We will just concentrate on the Clacton swamp. Make Clacton great.”

Banks is also ready to give Ukip access to the social media campaign team at his Bristol insurance offices, which proved influential during the EUreferendum campaign. Following advice from US-based social media strategists Cambridge Analytica, which also advised Trump, Banks claims to have developed his own algorithms for targeting voters with tailored messages through social media platforms, in particular Facebook.

But he wants Ukip to consider only putting up candidates against MPs who are opposed to Brexit.

“What we might say to Ukip is, what you should do is not put candidates up against strong Brexit candidates whether they be Labour, Lib Dem or Tory and focus on the MPs that are anti-Brexit,” said Wigmore. “In that case, the machine that we have got helps massively.”
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Webster
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(The Guardian) The Brexit secretary, David Davis, has denied that Theresa May has broken a promise by calling for a snap election.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s World at One programme, Davis was challenged on the prime minister’s repeated pledges not to call an early election.

Asked if she had broken her word, he said: “Not at all.”

He claimed an election was now in the national interest because opposition parties have been “jumping on every little difficulty” to undermine the government’s negotiating position on Brexit.

Davis said: “I do the negotiation and it does undermine what we are trying to do.”

He added: “This is about getting a mandate from the British people to deliver the best possible outcome. It is not just about delivering Brexit, it is also about delivering the other aspects of her prime ministership which she was not elected for.”

Davis praised May’s decision as a bold move.

He said: “Elections are unpredictable. The easy thing for the prime minister to do would be to sit on the majority she has until 2020 and not take any risks, but this is an incredibly conscientious prime minister who takes her duty to the national interest very seriously indeed, and that’s what this decision is about.”
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Webster
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(The Guardian) Summary Of Events - 2:21pm London time
--Britain is now on election footing after Theresa May made a surprise announcement for a poll on 8 June, despite having repeatedly insisted that she was opposed to an early vote. The Conservatives have a working majority of 17 but, given current polling, May seems to be calculating that an early summer election would allow her to govern until 2022 with a three-figure majority.

--May has sought to justify her U-turn over an early election by arguing that a poll is necessary because the opposition parties are trying to block Brexit. In her statement in Downing Street she said: Our opponents believe that because the government’s majority is so small, our resolve will weaken and that they can force us to change course ...

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.


--May has sought to put “leadership” at the heart of the election campaign. This is what she said in her statement: And the decision facing the country will be all about leadership. It will be a choice between strong and stable leadership in the national interest, with me as your prime minister, or weak and unstable coalition government, led by Jeremy Corbyn, propped up by the Liberal Democrats – who want to reopen the divisions of the referendum – and Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP.

--May is going to get MPs to vote tomorrow on a motion authorising an early general election. Under the Fixed-term Parliament Act, a prime minister can only bring forward an election if two-thirds of MPs vote in favour. But Labour, the SNP and the Lib Dems have all said or signalled that they will back the call for an early poll and it is possible that the motion will get passed without a division.

--Downing Street has said that the early election will not interfere with the Brexit negotiations. But, in practice, having an election now could substantially expand May’s room for manoeuvre in the talks. The UK and the EU are expected to agree a transitional period and, as the EU’s negotiating guidelines make clear, the UK is likely to have to agree to paying a large sum to the EU and continued European court of justice jurisdiction as part of this deal. Voters (see here) and Conservative party members (see here) would oppose both compromises quite strongly. Until now May faced the prospect of trying to get these through parliament with a small majority and an election looming. Now it is possible that she could enter talks with a large majority and no election due until 2022.

--Jeremy Corbyn has welcomed the announcement of an election and has said Labour will use it to set out “an effective alternative to a government that has failed to rebuild the economy, delivered falling living standards and damaging cuts to our schools and NHS”.

--A Guardian/ICM poll published this morning - the first published since May’s announcement - has put the Conservatives 18 points ahead of Labour. According to Electoral Calculus, this would give the Conservatives a majority of 126. The Press Association says that the average Conservative lead at the moment is 17 points and that no other Conservative government in modern times has been this far ahead of the main opposition party 51 days from a general election. Tony Blair’s Labour government went into the 2001 general election with a lead averaging 19 points, going on to win by a landslide.

--Downing Street has said that parliament is expected to dissolve on 3 May. That would be one day before the local elections on Thursday 4 May, which will go ahead as normal. The general election campaign proper will start after that.

--Nicola Sturgeon has accused Theresa May of using the snap general election as a chance to “move the UK to the right” and force through deeper spending cuts.
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Webster
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(The Guardian) The shadow home secretary, Diane Abbott, has insisted that Labour is prepared for the election and will campaign against “May’s version of Brexit”.

Speaking to BBC News, Abbott said the mood at this morning’s shadow cabinet meeting was not one of panic, but of unity behind Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership.

She said: “There was a calm mood, and Tom Watson lead the discussion talking about the importance of uniting behind the leadership. We have planned for this eventuality, we’ve got the people and the plans in place and we believe that the party as a whole wants MPs to unite behind the leadership and fight this election to win.”

Challenged about Labour’s preparations, Abbott added: “Every time the shadow cabinet has come together we have talked about the possibility of a snap election, now it is happening. We are going to fight it and we are going to win it.”

She refused to be drawn on how many seats Labour would win and she cited the Lib Dems win at the Richmond byelection as a reason for Labour hope.

Abbot said: “Theresa May is the one to worry, look at that Richmond result – people have looked at her version of Brexit and they don’t like it. The Richmond result, not necessarily with the Lib Dems benefitting, is going to be replicated across the country.”

She described May’s move as a “cut and run election”.

Abbott added: “This won’t be the first time the polls have a called an general election wrong. We believe the polls will allow the general public to focus on Theresa May’s version of Brexit, which puts controlling immigration before every other thing.”

“She has panicked her whole Brexit strategy is collapsing, she’s not going to get access to the single market and complete control of the borders. Most of the things she has promised will not happen.

“We want to bring people together with a vision of Brexit which protects jobs and protects living standards.”
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Webster
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(The Guardian) Guy Verhofstadt, the European parliament’s Brexit coordinator, said the general election was an opportunity for the British people to shape any future withdrawal deal. He said:

The UK election is an internal affair but clearly Brexit will be the key element of it. This means there will be an opportunity for the UK citizens to express themselves on how they see the future relationship between their country and the EU. As the EP Brexit negotiator, I will work with the new government for the best common future possible.

And Donald Tusk, the president of the European council tweeted of a “good phone call” with Theresa May in which the prime minister informed him of the coming general election...

(1) Good phone call with PM @theresa_may on upcoming UK elections.
(2) It was Hitchcock, who directed Brexit: first an earthquake and the tension rises.
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Webster
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(The Guardian) Ukip sources believe they can turn around the party’s recent misfortunes with victory in the Labour stronghold of north-east England.

They believe they can win in the seaside town of Hartlepool, which has been Labour since 1964 but elected Iain Wright with a slender majority of 3,024 at the 2015 general election.

Ukip went on to win its sixth seat on Hartlepool borough council last October, signalling that the country’s vote for Brexit had not killed the party’s appeal in the north-east.

One Ukip source in the north-east texted after Theresa May’s announcement on Tuesday morning: “I’d say there’s a fair amount of excitement in Hartlepool!”

Ukip also has its sights on Redcar (Labour majority: 10,388) and Blyth Valley (Labour majority: 9,229), where it believes it can make significant gains.

Elsewhere in the north-east, Labour’s Tom Blenkinsop announced within minutes of May leaving the No 10 podium that he would not stand for re-election in his seat of Middlesbrough South and Cleveland East.

With a majority of just 2,268, his is the slenderest Labour majority in the north-east and one many believe could fall to the Tories on 8 June.
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(The Guardian) In Northern Ireland the Social Democratic and Labour party leader, Colum Eastwood, has said Theresa May’s decision to call a snap Westminster election reflects the disdain she holds for Northern Ireland and attempts to restore a power-sharing government there. He said:

It tells you all you need to know about Theresa May that she would call a snap Westminster election in the middle of intense efforts to restore power-sharing government to Northern Ireland. From the beginning of her tenure as British prime minister, she has shown very little but disinterest and disdain for this place.

As Theresa May seeks a mandate for a hard Brexit from an English electorate, people here have an opportunity to unite behind parties which have defended their will and sought to protect our values.

England may want to isolate itself from Europe and the world. But people in Northern Ireland and Scotland made a different choice. A choice that cannot be fulfilled through a hard Brexit. We now have an opportunity to strengthen the mandate of parties which campaigned against and consistently voted against Brexit at Westminster.

I know people are suffering from electoral fatigue. But this is not a time to sit on the sidelines. This is a moment to unite to deliver a strong message to Theresa May and the Brexiteers. Our voice will be heard.
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Webster
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(The Guardian) Speaking to ITV, Theresa May said she had thought “long and hard” about the decision to hold an early election on her Easter walking holiday in Wales.

Before Easter, I spent a few days walking in Wales with my husband, thought about this long and hard and came to the decision that to provide for that stability and certainty, this was the way to do it. I trust the British people. I’m going to be asking the British people to put their trust in me.
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(The Guardian) Jeremy Corbyn has made a personal plea to members for extra funds as he seeks to beat a well-funded Conservative party in a general election.

In an email sent to up to half a million members, the Labour leader asked them to provide donations to fight a Tory campaign bolstered by wealthy, individual donors. He wrote: The Tories already have a war chest provided by a small group of multimillionaires and, with just 50 days until this election, whatever you can afford will help. We will hire organisers across the country, order print and advertising and kickstart our digital campaigns.
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(The Guardian) Here is the Plaid Cymru leader, Leanne Wood, on Theresa May’s decision to call an early election.

The British government has committed our country to a path of extreme economic recklessness. It doesn’t have to be their way. Wales needs MPs who will stand up to the Tories and be the voice of reason in parliament, defending our country’s vital economic links with Europe and the rest of the world.

Plaid Cymru is united and we’re up for the opportunity to advocate for Wales’ best interests. The more Plaid Cymru MPs, the stronger Wales’ voice will be. The official opposition is divided and unable to agree a position on the most important of decisions. Plaid Cymru in Westminster will stand up for our interests and make sure the decisions being taken now are made with future generations in mind, and not to cynically appease the extreme rightwing of the Tory party.

Plaid Cymru will provide real opposition to the Tories. The Party of Wales will contest every seat in June to make sure Wales has a stronger voice than ever before.
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(The Guardian) Sir Vince Cable, the former Lib Dem business secretary, is going to stand again for his party in Twickenham...

--I plan to lead fight back to recapture Twickenham for Lib Dems. Brexit. Heathrow. School cuts. Social care. Plenty to campaign on. (Sir Vince Cable, Fmr. Liberal Democratic Party Shadow Business Secretary - 17 April 2017)
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