May to seek snap election for 8 June

[muriel_volestrangler]

Last edited Tue Apr 18, 2017, 06:47 AM - Edit history (1)

Source: BBC

UK Prime Minister Theresa May has announced plans to call a snap general election on 8 June.

She said Britain needed certainty, stability and strong leadership following the EU referendum.

Explaining the decision, Mrs May said: "The country is coming together but Westminster is not."

There will be a Commons vote on the proposed election on Wednesday - Labour have said they will vote with the government.


Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-39629603

---

This is cynical opportunism.

[div class"excerpt"]This is from the official notes to the Fixed-term Parliaments Act. It confirms that Theresa May does not need to repeal the Act to hold an early election. All she would need would be a vote with a two-thirds majority in the Commons.

The Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 provides for fixed days for polls for parliamentary general elections. The polling day for elections will ordinarily be the first Thursday in May every five years. The first such polling day will be on 7 May 2015. The Prime Minister will be able to defer, by statutory instrument, the polling day for such parliamentary general elections to a day not more than two months later than the scheduled polling day.

The Act also makes provision to enable the holding of early parliamentary general elections. The trigger for such general elections would be either a vote of no confidence in the Government, following which the House of Commons did not pass a motion of confidence in a Government within 14 days, or a vote by at least two-thirds of all MPs in favour of an early election.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/blog/live/2017/apr/18/corbyn-cressida-dick-met-police-a-gun-may-not-have-saved-pc-killed-in-westminster-terror-attack-says-new-met-chief-politics-live?pagewith:block-58f5e298e4b0e0ec04f01fe8#block-58f5e298e4b0e0ec04f01fe8
She doesn't need to call an election - she has a parliamentary majority, and has not looked like losing any votes in the Commons. She is plain lying when she claims she needs this to negotiate Brexit. What she is doing is playing chicken with Jeremy Corbyn - Labour is well behind in the polls at the moment, and she knows she'll get a lot more seats now (and this would put off the next election from 2020 to 2022). So she wants Corbyn to either agree to an election now, and lose it, or block it, and then she'll use that to say he's afraid.

She's meant to be governing the country and sorting out the mess of Brexit, and she's looking for quick party political advantage instead.

Updated: BBC says Labour will vote for the election, but I'm not sure where that came from. Ah, announcement from Corbyn:

Jeremy Corbyn has put out this statement about Theresa May’s announcement.

I welcome the prime minister’s decision to give the British people the chance to vote for a government that will put the interests of the majority first.

Labour will be offering the country 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.

In the last couple of weeks, Labour has set out policies that offer a clear and credible choice for the country. We look forward to showing how Labour will stand up for the people of Britain.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/blog/live/2017/apr/18/corbyn-cressida-dick-met-police-a-gun-may-not-have-saved-pc-killed-in-westminster-terror-attack-says-new-met-chief-politics-live?page=with:block-58f5ed79e4b0e0ec04f02028#block-58f5ed79e4b0e0ec04f02028

[BumRushDaShow]

1. Getting breakings from NYT & CNN...

Theresa May Calls Early Election in U.K., Seeking Stronger Mandate for ‘Brexit’

By SEWELL CHAN APRIL 18, 2017

LONDON — Prime Minister Theresa May stunned Britain on Tuesday by announcing that she would call an early election, placing a bet that voters will give her Conservative Party a strong mandate as her government negotiates the country’s withdrawal from the European Union.

Mrs. May took power in July; her predecessor, David Cameron, resigned after voters narrowly approved a referendum supporting departure from the bloc, a decision known as Brexit. Last month, Mrs. May formally initiated the two-year process, one of Britain’s most consequential decisions since World War II. She had repeatedly ruled out a snap election — the next one was scheduled to occur in 2020 — so her decision on Tuesday represents an abrupt U-turn.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/18/world/europe/uk-theresa-may-general-election.html

(I may be wrong and may have misread earlier post-Brexit voting reporting, but it seems to me that there was quite a bit of buyer's remorse, so I can't see how even more would come out in support of this at this time)

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. Labour are very weak in opinion polls right now

There was one at the weekend at about 44% Tory, 22% Labour. She wants to hold the election when Labour is at its lowest.

Ah, here's a recent poll:

Link to tweet

[BumRushDaShow]

4. Will be interesting to see if people have completely tuned out then. nt

[mwooldri]

21. My thoughts are that opinion polls are meaningless right now.

This is a Brexit General Election. The position of the Tories is clear. As it is for the LibDems, and the SNP.

Labour need to get a position on Europe and stick to it. Cancel Article 50.

It would also be interesting if Labour, the LibDems and the SNP get together and get tactical and form a pro Europe coalition.

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. What she said before about not trying to call for an early election

Just before she assumed the role of prime minister she said would be no early election under her leadership . On 30 June in the speech that launched her bid she explicitly ruled it out.

Then in her first major interview after taking office she told the Andrew Marr Show last September that the UK needed a period of stability after the shock Brexit vote.

She said: “I’m not going to be calling a snap election. I’ve been very clear that I think we need that period of time, that stability, to be able to deal with the issues that the country is facing and have that election in 2020.”

In her Christmas message in 2016 May also strongly hinted that an early election was not the agenda by calling for unity.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/blog/live/2017/apr/18/corbyn-cressida-dick-met-police-a-gun-may-not-have-saved-pc-killed-in-westminster-terror-attack-says-new-met-chief-politics-live?page=with:block-58f5e729e4b0e0ec04f02002#block-58f5e729e4b0e0ec04f02002

[Hortensis]

5. Yes, sadly, current polling apparently strongly favors

increasing the Conservative Party's majority. We may wish that were not so, but I'm not sure what is so wrong about trying to increase their political advantage, at least from her party's viewpoint. Only imagine if Barack Obama had been able to use his popularity to do this.

This is from Newsweek back in March:

The argument for an election, from May’s perspective, is that her slim parliamentary majority has proved a handicap on domestic issues like proposed changes to self-employed taxes the government was forced to scrap last week. It could prove similarly difficult during the Brexit negotiations.

Polls give May’s party a double-digit lead over Labour, and a recent by-election victory in the northern seat of Copeland, where the government unseated Labour, has given many Conservatives confidence. The most likely outcome of a snap election would be an increased Tory majority.

And May will have Gordon Brown in mind, who dithered over calling a snap election when he took over from Tony Blair in 2007. In the end, he did not, only to see his popularity dive shortly afterwards, eventually leading to defeat in 2010.

[muriel_volestrangler]

8. What's wrong with it is that May was in the government that introduced fixed term parliaments

which was meant to stop governments calling sudden elections just because they see a short term advantage in the polls. And she's spent her time (including when she was running for party leader) saying she wouldn't try and do it (see above). Now she's throwing that in the bin, and lying about the reasons.

[Hortensis]

10. I can see why you're disgusted. How unfortunate

that most Brit voters are just as comfortable with dishonorable political behavior -- as long as it benefits their team -- as most American voters.

Btw, in America most of those who have below-average acceptance of political chicanery and betrayal are liberals. Since this is a function of basic character and personality, it's probably the same in UK. Their cons are no doubt delighted with her.

[BumRushDaShow]

6. Washington Post breaking

British prime minister calls for elections in June amid Brexit fallout

By Karla Adam April 18 at 6:20 AM

LONDON — British Prime Minister Theresa May called Tuesday for an early election on June 8, saying she needed a fresh mandate to move ahead with Britain’s planned break from the European Union.

The surprise announcement — made outside her office at 10 Downing Street — “I have concluded the only way to guarantee certainty and stability for the years ahead is to hold this election and seek your support for the decisions I have to make,” she said.

The move comes amid political strains over Brexit and moves by Scotland to possible carve its own independent path to remain in the European Union.

Last month, Britain submitted its formal request to begin E.U. exit negotiations.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/british-prime-minister-calls-for-elections-in-june-amid-brexit-fallout/2017/04/18/e8cfe446-241e-11e7-b503-9d616bd5a305_story.html

[nitpicker]

7. More from BBC

http://www.bbc.com/news/live/uk-39628713

[Denzil_DC]

11. Capitalizing on Labour's weakness and divisions on this issue may be one reason.

Another is likely to be to seek a clear mandate to wave at the House of Lords, which so far has provided the only parliamentary speed bump for May's Brexit "plans".

It's also a grand distraction just as the reality of Brexit's complications begins to set in. And meanwhile, there are still ongoing police investigations into alleged illegal expenditure in certain Tory-won seats during the last general election.

[muriel_volestrangler]

12. Ooh, yes, that should be a good thing to bring up in the election - "any electoral fraud convictions

so far?" "I call on all the Tories currently under investigation for illegal expenditure to take no part in this election", etc.

[Denzil_DC]

14. It will certainly put a bit of a cramp in any

Tory battle bus shenanigans!

Corbyn's just confirmed that Labour will back the no confidence motion to trigger the election:

Jeremy Corbyn has put out this statement about Theresa May’s announcement.

I welcome the prime minister’s decision to give the British people the chance to vote for a government that will put the interests of the majority first.

Labour will be offering the country 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.

In the last couple of weeks, Labour has set out policies that offer a clear and credible choice for the country. We look forward to showing how Labour will stand up for the people of Britain.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/blog/live/2017/apr/18/corbyn-cressida-dick-met-police-a-gun-may-not-have-saved-pc-killed-in-westminster-terror-attack-says-new-met-chief-politics-live?page=with:block-58f5ed79e4b0e0ec04f02028#block-58f5ed79e4b0e0ec04f02028

I assume he's confident of the backing of the PLP for this!

[bucolic_frolic]

13. Not governing in good faith

but permanently electioneering instead

Like permanent fundraising in a way

Product of our media age perhaps

[Denzil_DC]

15. "Every vote for the Conservatives will make me stronger"

I don't know who's in charge of this bit of May's initial plank, but it comes across as a bit Bond villainish.

All the signs are that she wants to make it personal. Expect the knives to come out for Corbyn from the Tories this time - they've given him a relatively easy ride and left all that to the Labour back benches so far.

There are certainly questions being asked about how much the ongoing police investigations into electoral fraud during the last GE might be a factor in her decision:

Link to tweet

Eoin Clarke @LabourEoin

Theresa May has timed this election to drown out the Crown Prosecution Service's charging her MPs for Electoral Fraud. Due any day now.

Nineteen police forces have been investigation election expense irregularities involving 29 Tory MPs. If things go badly for the Tories when the CPS announces what it's going to do any day now, May could face losing her current majority. OTOH, can the sitting MPs affected run for re-election with these court cases pending?

It does, temporarily at least, get around the problems with Northern Ireland not having a functional assembly at the moment.

[Baclava]

16. What the hell is a 'snap election'?

They just call for one whenever they want?

[Denzil_DC]

17. That used to be the case in the UK.

A government could call an election whenever it wanted - there was no fixed term.

That supposedly changed when the Lib Dem/Tory coalition brought in the Fixed Term Parliaments Act in 2011, which set a term of five years. But there are nevertheless ways a government can call a general election before then.

May is going to propose a no confidence vote in her own government tomorrow, which, if passed as expected, will result in Parliament being dissolved.

[Baclava]

18. 'Vote of no confidence' - I've seen that before

It doesn't turn out well, the future is cloudy

[Denzil_DC]

41. I was misinformed earlier.

It's not going to be a vote of no confidence (that was one option open to May, but obviously a vaguely humiliating one), but "There will be a vote in the House of Commons on Wednesday to approve the election plan".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-39629603

[hrmjustin]

19. Unfortunately I don't expect labour to do well considering their standings in the polls.

And if they don't do well my sense is that is the end of Corbyn's leadership.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

44. Corbyn won't go until he loses his own seat

Corbyn's base doesn't really care about winning.

[hrmjustin]

47. Yes. I think they are about making a point and taking themselves too seriously.

[mwooldri]

20. Opportunity for Brexit Exit.

This is without a doubt the Brexit General Election.

The Lib Dem position will be to cancel the Article 50 notice. The SNPs position is also well known. The only problem is Labour. Jeremy Corbyn IMO will have to embrace Europe, and be anti Brexit for this election cycle.

Otherwise we will have a Tory party dragging us through Brexit and nominal opposition from a bigger LibDem party and a smaller Labour Party.

[nycbos]

22. Labour will need a new leader to have a chance.

Personally I hope they pick one who is not a terrorist supporting anti-semite.

[Denzil_DC]

23. Why would you hope that? n/t

[nycbos]

24. I really should learn how to proofread.

[Denzil_DC]

25. Learning something about UK politics might also help. n/t

[nycbos]

26. I know quite a bit about UK politics.

And about Labour's current leader.


"He has called Hamas and Hezbollah agents of “long-term peace and social justice and political justice in the whole region,” and once invited to Parliament a Palestinian Islamist, Raed Salah, who has suggested Jews were absent from the World Trade Center on 9/11."


https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/08/opinion/an-anti-semitism-of-the-left.html?_r=1

Corbyn once described it as his “honour and pleasure” to host “our friends” from Hamas and Hezbollah in parliament.

He also wrote letter defending Stephen Sizer, the vicar disciplined by the Church of England for linking to an article on social media entitled 9/11: Israel Did It;

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/aug/13/jeremy-corbyn-labour-leadership-foreign-policy-antisemitism


If you enthusiastically wrap your arms around Hamas, and you defend someone who blames Jews for 9/11 your are an anti-semite.

I also know who reads what British paper.

[Denzil_DC]

27. If you want to base your take on British media on a TV clip from the 1980s, go ahead.

As for the rest of your post, old smears obviously die hard for some, but then you're living in the 1980s, huh?.

[nycbos]

30. The Yes Minister clip was meant to be dry humor.

However if you look at the UK General election of 2015 it is still relevant.


The papers endorsed in a similar matter to what they did in the 1980s.

as one of the Youtube commentator noted

2015 Endorsements

Daily Mirror Labour
Guardian Labour
Times Tory/LD keep the coalition
Daily Mail Tory
Financial Times Tory/LD keep the coalition
Morning Star Labour
Daily Telegraph Tory
Sun Alice Eve/Tory


And lets be clear. It is a fact that Corbyn supports Hamas. That is not a smear. It is a fact.

If I was a UK citizen I would have enthusiastically supported Miliband.

There are a ton of anti-semites on the far left and antisemitism in general is one of the causes that the far left and the far right have in common.

[Denzil_DC]

31. You cling onto those ideas, then.

The only people who smear Corbyn as an anti-Semite are revolting opportunists, and it's an accusation I've mainly heard from US DU posters. Most UK DU posters have more sense.

Hey, I support a Palestinian state with whoever the Palestinian people choose to elect in charge, and think the Israeli government's conduct in shamelessly decimating it over the years - while that same Israeli government had a hand in founding Hamas, by the way - has constituted a series of war crimes bordering on genocide, but I suppose that makes me an anti-Semite too, huh?

I'd rather spend my time discussing with someone who has a genuine interest in UK politics, and doesn't just deal in such smears, especially at this crucial time for us, so if you don't mind, this exchange is at an end.

[nycbos]

32. I do have an interest in UK politics.

I am a fan of London's mayor Sadiq Khan. From what I read about him he seems pretty impressive.

I am not one of those people who thinks all criticism of Israel is antisemitic. I am a big supporter of J-Street. I oppose the occupation of the West Bank BECUSE I am pro-Israel not in spite of.

I think some of Israel's past decisions have been extremely moronic. To quote a friend of mine "f**k Hamas. Because they make me sound that I like Bibi"

But when you say war crimes that is detached from reality. Hamas fires rockets at Israel and Israel has every right to shoot back. They put their weapons systems in places to put their own people in danger for the purposes of having propaganda.

The Onion gets it: Palestinians Starting To Have Mixed Feelings About Being Used As Human Shields




http://www.theonion.com/article/palestinians-starting-to-have-mixed-feelings-about-36497

In this crazy world of ours The Onion is starting to become real.

[Denzil_DC]

33. What part of "this exchange is at an end" is giving you such difficulty? n/t

[former9thward]

52. This is a discussion board.

You only control what you post, not anyone else.

[Denzil_DC]

54. Why the lecture after quite some time has passed since my comment, and what business is it of yours?

We are all free to choose where we spend our energies. If our friend here wants to continue in this vein, that's up to him, but he can do it without my participation, and so can you.

[former9thward]

55. You clearly want to control any posts made in response to yours.

Sorry, its not going to happen.

[Denzil_DC]

56. OK, we've met before.

You seem to wander the board looking for pointless fights, so you can do it without me. Welcome to my ignore list.

[former9thward]

57. Thank you.

And I know you will see it.

[LeftishBrit]

45. Corbyn isn't these things, just a bad and weak leader

I know that I will now be denounced by both Corbyn-supporters and Corbyn-haters, but: In my view, he is well-meaning, but inexperienced and unrealistic in many ways, and disappointingly weak at fighting against the Tories, Brexit, UKIP, anti-Semites, other racists, the media (which always has it in for all Labour leaders), etc. etc. People thought Ed Miliband was too weak, but Corbyn is weaker. But as regards 'terrorist-supporting antisemites', that would be a much better description of the Saudi government than of Corbyn, and May has absolutely fallen over herself to pander to them in order to get some trading opportunities post-Brexit. Not to mention all the other dictators to whom she is pandering, and of course American Psycho.

[lies]

28. Stupid Brits.

After embracing racism and xenophobia they've decided to stay the course and vote for more racism and xenophobia.

This election will show the rest of the world that Brexit was no accident, and that a country where 1/3rd of the population is a self-proclaimed racist is indeed OK with screwing itself and the EU to stop refugees and outsiders from living and working in the UK.

[Hekate]

37. At the moment the US is in no position to call the Brits stupid on those grounds, sad to say...

We elected Trojan Horse Trump, and about the same proportion of our own populace is racist and in search of a strongman.

Those of us who aren't need to wake up and learn from this fiasco.

[lies]

38. Believe it or not

Brexit is impacting Europe much much much more than Trump.

I currently live in Ireland and I can tell you that Britain is rightly being blamed for a lot of European problems.

[Hekate]

39. Just give Trump time. He's hurting us plenty over here, in many ways seen and unseen.

Last edited Tue Apr 18, 2017, 06:02 PM - Edit history (1)

The damage will spread, unless we get rid of him and VP Pence -- but as I keep telling the youngsters, the Watergate scandal took ages to unravel, and our Senate and House were different then as well.

God help us.

PS: What do the Irish think about the Russia connection to Brexit, Trump, LePen, and all the rest?

[lies]

40. Russians

Almost entirely not in the news here.

The Brexit thing here is seen as largely racism and xenophobia and the feeling they couldn't control their own destiny... (Even though they won't let the Scottish control there's exwctly)

There is some talk of Russian interference in the French election... And always a hit of murmuring away about Crimea and Turkey and Hungary...

The other thing you gotta remember of course is that Europe to some real degree blames America for Brexit... W and the Iraq War... That's the basis for Brexit and all the misery thereafter.

[LeftishBrit]

46. Umm- something about pots and kettles springs to mind here...

[steve2470]

53. +1 nt

[HoneyBadger]

29. She just won "Craziest politician of the week"

Why would government allow such a blatant disenfranchisement of the voting process? Elections should have longer timelines, not shorter ones. Longer allows more discussion and contemplation.

[Blue_Tires]

34. Who didn't see this shit coming?

I'd said at the time I was VERY surprised May even took the PM job since she had to know she was being set up in a guaranteed unwinnable situation... Her first major fucking clue was when Farage himself instantly "retired" instead of taking a role in this new nightmare he'd fought to bring to Britain for so many years, and when Boris passed on PM for the relatively responsibility-free foreign secretary... So now when Brexit inevitably fails, May will be the scapegoat while Farage and the rest of his UKIP fuckwads get to walk away with their hands clean...

Like Trump, the folks who wanted Brexit were so concerned with trying to win with overly simplistic slogans, disseminating disinformation, racial demagoguery, and intentionally bullshit/misleading promises that were never going to be kept that they never ever figured out what the fuck they would actually do if they DID win... And this is why I'm predicting a Trump resignation when the heat gets hot enough...

[muriel_volestrangler]

35. May is doing this because she's in a particularly strong position right now

The Tories are 20% ahead of Labour in the polls.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/blog/live/2017/apr/18/corbyn-cressida-dick-met-police-a-gun-may-not-have-saved-pc-killed-in-westminster-terror-attack-says-new-met-chief-politics-live?page=with:block-58f62e51e4b05776df18ece7#block-58f62e51e4b05776df18ece7

May is taking advantage of Labour's unpopularity to lock in the gains now, giving her an extra couple of years in government as well.

Farage could not "take a role" (thank goodness); he's just a UKIP member of the European Parliament. UKIP is basically finished is Brexit goes badly; they are a one issue party, and they got that issue.

[Blue_Tires]

36. Labour is 20% behind?

Last edited Wed Apr 19, 2017, 09:36 AM - Edit history (1)

Exactly what in fuck's name is Corbyn doing to earn his paycheck? The tories are toxic and they can't make any gains??

EDIT: Besides, I thought Trump proved once and for all that polls are completely meaningless?

[FBaggins]

42. What Corbyn is doing...

... is tearing his party apart.

They've even lost by-elections in formerly safe areas.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

43. May needs a stronger majority

Both the dissident Leave and Remain camps within the Conservatives are a potential problem and either or both could hold May hostage.

Corbyn and Labour have completely abdicated their role as Opposition and are irrelevant.

[Txbluedog]

48. Good chance for the conservatives to consolidate their majority

I am hoping that a different party can come in as a viable opposition because even after labour is decimated I doubt "great leader" Corbyn is going to resign

[whistler162]

49. Worked for Churchill in '45 so maybe it will

for May in 2017. Oh wait it didn't!

[muriel_volestrangler]

50. That's probably the election furthest away from this that you've used as an example

In 1945, a general election had been delayed because of the war. The last election had been in 1935 - probably the longest period without an election since 1640 (In England, anyway, since that's before "Great Britain" was formed; and the delay in 1640 was a significant factor in the start of the English Civil War). Churchill was leading a coalition which included Labour.

So calling an election after 2 years, when you lead a majority government, really is nothing like 1945.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

51. Except Attlee was wasn't an effete communist

I would be surprised if Labour comes out of this election with much more than fifty seats. Labour in 1945 won almost four hundred.

[alarimer]

58. Sad to see such a great country going down the tubes.

I can certainly sympathize with that.

Since Labour is more disorganized than even the Democratic Party, I do not foresee this being anything good for people. They can probably count on losing whatever social safety net exists there. And there will certainly be a massive economic hit when Brexit happens for real. And of course, it's the people voting for Brexit and for Conservatives who will suffer the most, just like Republican voters here. How to get people to stop voting against their own best interests is apparently a worldwide issue.

It certainly feels like the Enlightenment is over and we are in for a new Dark Ages (mixing timelines a bit, but there you go).