8 June

[Nigello]

BRITISH PRIME MINISTER MAY SAYS SHE WANTS TO HOLD EARLY ELECTION ON JUNE 8 - BBC'S POLITICAL EDITOR CITES ONE SOURCE

REUTERS

[DulwichFox]

Therefore The Labour Party need to find a new leader urgently if they have any chance of winning.

8th June is a Thursday ? Think I may be washing my hair that day.

DulwichFox

[rendelharris]

So the fixed term parliament act (introduced by the Tories) should only apply unless you see an opportunistic chance to go when the polls are in your favour. Just what the country needs at a time we should be trying to sort out Brexit and after all the brouhaha of last year, another couple of months of division and argument. Smart move by the PM, but her presenting it as a good thing for the country rather than an opportunistic move for the Tories is a bit much. Oh well, Tory government for the next five years then. Hurrah.

ETA on the plus side when Corbyn gets utterly humiliated surely even he won't be able to hang on.

[Otta]

Come on, if you were her you'd do this. I certainly would. She has people quite rightly saying that a PM that wasn't elected by the people shouldn't be taking the country in to Brexit. So now she'll be very much elected by the people, probably with a massive majority. It is a very very good move from her.

None of that is to say that I am remotely happy about this. We will now have a Tory government with a big majority, possibly for the next 10 years.

I just hope Corbyn will fnck the fnck off on 9th June (have a nasty feeling he won't), and that Labour put a woman at the helm (Heidi Alexander maybe...).

[nxjen]

Who will those who usually vote Labour but can't possibly bring themselves, like me, to vote for Corbyn support? They won't vote Tory either, seems like the LibDems might be in for a resurgence.

[rendelharris]

Otta Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Come on, if you were her you'd do this. I

> certainly would. She has people quite rightly

> saying that a PM that wasn't elected by the people

> shouldn't be taking the country in to Brexit. So

> now she'll be very much elected by the people,

> probably with a massive majority. It is a very

> very good move from her.

>

> None of that is to say that I am remotely happy

> about this. We will now have a Tory government

> with a big majority, possibly for the next 10

> years.

>

> I just hope Corbyn will fnck the fnck off on 9th

> June (have a nasty feeling he won't), and that

> Labour put a woman at the helm (Heidi Alexander

> maybe...).

Oh I certainly would, I just don't like the dressing it up as a good thing for the country when really it's a good thing for her. But definitely the smart move from her point of view.

I agree, Corbyn will probably try to hang on and create even more of a shambles than he has already. Heidi Alexander good shout, I'd be happy with either Clive Lewis or Sadiq Khan as well.

ETA Worth noting that in October she categorically ruled out a pre-2020 election saying it would cause instability.

[JohnL]

May needs to get 75% (Edit: It's 66.66% - just testing of course :) ) of MPs to vote for an election first (suppose it's a done deal)

Labour won't do anything, so I hope the Lib Dems appeal to the Remain vote (make it a one issue election)

[JohnL]

Why does she keep on saying the country is coming together.

Does she believe the polls and not realise this could be a Brexit re-vote.

[red devil]

The BBC is saying two-thirds is needed...

[rendelharris]

Two thirds is right - so Labour and the SNP together could block this move, presume they won't though.

[JohnL]

red devil Wrote:

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> The BBC is saying two-thirds is needed...

My fault - too much Easter celebration :)

[Jeremy]

Labour will vote for the election.

Corbyn and his buddies because they're deluded.

The rest of them, because they want this whole Corbyn fiasco to end.

[jacks09]

Sturgeon could be very smart here and use her parties votes as a bargaining chip.....

[Earl Aelfheah]

I predict the lowest turnout of any GE ever. Totally agree with Rendel - it's he right thing to do from May's perspective, but will be hugely damaging to the country and to politics.

[JohnL]

Jeremy Wrote:

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> Labour will vote for the election.

>

> Corbyn and his buddies because they're deluded.

> The rest of them, because they want this whole

> Corbyn fiasco to end.

I suppose if a party is to afraid to fight an election

it doesn't look good to the electorate.

[nxjen]

I'm sure, as ever, Sturgeon will grasp the opportunity to attempt political advantage though I find her position a bit weird. She is not an elected member of Parliament in Westminster yet she can do political deals there. Seems undemocratic somehow.

[adonirum]

Typical politicians. Decide something. Make it a rule/law(fixed term parliament). Then when/if it suits you, decide it doesn't apply to you.

Also, she probably doesn't want to join the exclusive club of Prime Ministers who never won an election.

In short, as has been stated elsewhere in the thread, can we really blame/criticise her for doing so?

Remember, ALL politicians at ALL levels worship the/their Holy Trinity,not the Christian one of father, son and holy ghost, but the politicians one of ME, MYSELF and I.

[dbboy]

An election is the last thing the country needs, wait for another coalition and Labour to get wiped out into third if not 4th place, but on the upside Labour will then get someone (is their anyone left)that is credible?

The bookies will be rubbing their hands with all the bets going down.

[Blah Blah]

If you keep U-Turning you never arrive anywhere.

Agree that the LibDems will pick up marginals. Agree that Labour will be annihilated. Agree that Corbyn will try to stay on (backed by the membership) but he will be forced out, because the party will split and very few will stand with him, and no court will give the party name and ownership to him. As a Labour member, this is the only way to be rid of him, and as much as I hate the prospect of May till 2022, with Corbyn at the helm, we would have been looking at 2025 at least. So Labour finally gets itself a chance of a credible leader and rebuilds.

[steveo]

From another perspective, if she's to be the moderating hand on the arm of that loon in the White House, maybe we should all come together to make she gets in at all costs

[titch juicy]

What has she done to make anyone believe she'll be the moderating hand on the arm of Trump? I'll be delighted if i'm wrong, but from what i've seen she's sucking up to him to try and get a favourable trade deal post brexit.

[Siduhe]

What I can't work out is whether she's doing this (as some news outlets have suggested) to give herself a cast iron mandate to push a hard Brexit through, or (as others have suggested including the FT) to disempower those parts of the Conservatives who will only accept a hard Brexit making it possible for her to push a soft Brexit through. This is where "Brexit means Brexit" is sod-all help to the average person.

[steveo]

titch juicy Wrote:

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> What has she done to make anyone believe she'll be

> the moderating hand on the arm of Trump? I'll be

> delighted if i'm wrong, but from what i've seen

> she's sucking up to him to try and get a

> favourable trade deal post brexit.

I think I mean potential conduit. One thing she is is cautious and I think if the shite starts heading in the direction of the fan, we might be glad Jeremy won't be involved

[JohnL]

Siduhe Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> What I can't work out is whether she's doing this

> (as some news outlets have suggested) to give

> herself a cast iron mandate to push a hard Brexit

> through, or (as others have suggested including

> the FT) to disempower those parts of the

> Conservatives who will only accept a hard Brexit

> making it possible for her to push a soft Brexit

> through. This is where "Brexit means Brexit" is

> sod-all help to the average person.

The first opens up a soft brexit alliance to be formed.

So the other parties can call her bluff on this (by forming that alliance).

[nxjen]

Siduhe Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> What I can't work out is whether she's doing this

> (as some news outlets have suggested) to give

> herself a cast iron mandate to push a hard Brexit

> through, or (as others have suggested including

> the FT) to disempower those parts of the

> Conservatives who will only accept a hard Brexit

> making it possible for her to push a soft Brexit

> through. This is where "Brexit means Brexit" is

> sod-all help to the average person.

Interesting, at my gut level I'm inclined to believe the FT version. May comes across as very straightforward and uncharismatic but underneath there is a very wiley politician who has lasted at senior level a comparatively long time whilst others have fallen by the wayside. She's very convincing in what she says but, again at gut level, I feel she doesn't disclose what she's really aiming for.