May to seek snap election for 8 June (UK)

BBC ^ | 18th April 2017

[naturalman1975]

UK PM Theresa May announces plan to call snap general election on 8 June.

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

[GreenLanternCorps]

That’s not the way things work.

[naturalman1975]

I agree entirely. I regard the move to fixed terms in many Westminster Parliaments as an abomination. I just didn’t really think May would have the guts to abandon it during this term (I thought it might go during the required review outlined in the Act in... 2020 from memory). I am pleasantly surprised that she has done this.

[Savrola]

Labour can’t realistically make this a ‘pseudo-referendum’ on Brexit. It would look farcical them taking that approach because of the divisions in their own party on the subject. Nobody thinks Corbyn is enthusiastically pro-EU - McDonnell even less so. They were so anemic with their support for the Remain campaign that such a stance would not be plausible.

The Lib Dems will certainly run almost entirely on an anti-Brexit platform. They should make significant gains (especially in Cornwall and the West Country) but its hard to see past a Tory increased majority.

[Redmen4ever]

This is a totally legit snap election. Theresa May was elected Prime Minister by her peers following the resignation of the former Prime Minister. She subsequently consolidated her position within the Conservative Party, and is now seeking a mandate from the people for her government.

Another totally legit snap election is when there is an impasse in Parliament. For example, they’re not able to pass a budget.

Now, as to the fact that the Tories are riding high in the polls, we’ll just say that’s a coincidence.

BTW my wife is part English, and really likes Theresa May.

[naturalman1975]

Believe me, I know the British constitution very well - often find myself explaining it here.

Until recently, there would have been no question that May’s decision to ask for a General election would have been completely right and proper, but the passage of the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act in 2011 does change things somewhat. The entire purpose of that Act was to remove the Prime Minister’s power to easily call an early election except in extraordinary circumstances - and explicitly even such things as a failure to pass a budget would no longer be considered sufficient cause. Last year the Cameron government even expressly stated a position that a Prime Minister could no longer call an early election.

I don’t like the idea of fixed terms in a Westminster system, so I am not unhappy at what May is doing, but it is hard to argue for the same legitimacy in the decision as has always applied in the past on the same terms. It is clearly and undoubtedly constitutional however and I am very glad to see it because she herself is creating the precedent that future Prime Ministers will use to call early elections despite that Act. I did not think she would have the guts to do it. It’s quite a big call.

[UKrepublican]

She is going to win a massive landslide.

[naturalman1975]

I agree that Labour cannot realistically turn this election into a pseudo-referendum on Brexit. I do think it’s likely some people are likely to try to do it, though.

[VanDeKoik]

Stuff like this makes me love our set in stone elections.

[drop 50 and fire for effect]

Concur, one of the virtues of the British system is a flexible election cycle. However, from some brief research, these elections sometimes backfire on the party that called them. Thought it would seem unlikely in this case.

The only politician I have read that is on the record opposing this is Nicola Sturgeon. I suspect that the reason for her opposition is that Scotland may be the one place that Labour may actually gain seats.

We will see.

nm’75- I appreciate your efforts to enlighten FReepers on the British political process. Most of understand it about as well as non-Americans understand the Electoral College... i.e. not at all.

[iowamark]

God save our gracious Queen.
Long live our noble Queen
God save the Queen
Send her victorious
Happy and glorious
Long to reign over us
God save the Queen

O Lord our God arise
Scatter her enemies
And make them fall
Confound their politics
Frustrate their knavish tricks
On Thee our hopes we fix
God save us all

Thy choicest gifts in store
On her be pleased to pour
Long may she reign
May she defend our laws
And ever give us cause
To sing with heart and voice
God save the Queen

Not in this land alone
But be God’s mercies known
From shore to shore
Lord make the nations see
That men should brothers be
And form one family
The wide world over

From every latent foe
From the assassins blow
God save the Queen
O’er her thine arm extend
For Britain’s sake defend
Our mother, prince, and friend
God save the Queen

Lord grant that Marshal Wade
May by thy mighty aid
Victory bring
May he sedition hush
And like a torrent rush
Rebellious Scots to crush
God save the Queen

[Redmen4ever]

Thanks. I only meant “legit” from the standpoint of tradition and practice. As to the fixed terms act, I don’t think there will be much of a problem with this snap election because of its legitimacy (in the sense I describe). The snap election isn’t merely to call an election at a time convenient to the current government.

BTW Other parliamentary governments have fixed terms and occasional snap elections. For example, Sweden has had fixed terms since the 1990s, but was going to have a snap election in 2015 because of a budget crisis (which snap election was canceled when the major parties there came to some kind of agreement).

[Moltke]

And then again there’s Italy - they seem to have a system of fixed snap elections, every couple of months or so...

[NRx]

Unless May is caught on video torturing a puppy, the Tories are going to win, probably in a landslide. Jeremy Corbyn is a far left nut (even by European standards) and has alienated a huge swath of center-left voters who would normally vote Labour. It is not beyond the realm of possibility that the perennial also ran Liberal Democrats could become the 2nd largest party and become the “loyal opposition.” The election will also have significant implications in Scotland where yet again the SNP has been trying to seize on any issue (in this case Brexit) to justify another referendum on secession from the UK. However polls have shown Scottish voters growing weary of this and there is a chance that for the first time in a generation the Tories might pick up a few seats north of the border.

[Vaden]

I was afraid these sort of shenanigans would happen. They want to stop Brexit. This is nothing else but another play to try to stop it. Keep doing the elections until you get the result you want. I wouldn’t be surprised if I turn up one day to find the headline “Brexit halted by court order over “irregularities.”

[Silverity]

Looks like an election on “Hard Brexit” or “Soft Brexit”.

[BigEdLB]

Naaah just dump Charles. Go from QE II to William. Skip the middle man.

[GreenLanternCorps]

A poster on another website I frequent thinks the the Tories will pick up several seats just north of the border that were lukewarm for Remain and were strong No during the Indy Ref.

It’s antidotal from comments during a wedding in the area, but plausible.

[ExSoldier]

That's interesting, I was just thinking the opposite. That she has caved to the power cravings of all politicians and wants innumerable terms in office so she's giving the masses another chance to reverse course. I didn't think the original vote was exactly a landslide in favor of leaving the EU. Or am I wrong in that? By the way, given your handle, are you related to Hugh Hefner?

[pepsionice]

If you look over at Labor (the opposition party)...roughly one-third of the normal voters from a decade ago are gone.

They had an internal campaign about four years ago...just for party members only, and Jeremy Corbyn came in. If you were looking for the extreme far-left crowd....that’s who took over the Labor Party. Even the middle-ground crowd...they are gone. On the BREXIT vote....Corbyn and about half of the labor movement went pro-BREXIT.

I’m only taking a guess but I suspect that Labor will lose at least 10-percent of their seats. This election, I think, is not that much about BREXIT....as it is about confirming May’s way ahead. Lot more positive feelings. I do agree....maybe 50,000 Brits will be leaving for Europe, but the vast number of Brits, business operations, and banks....will be staying.

[Sam Gamgee]

Britain is totally backwards in term of electoral reform, so there is a huge advantage for sitting governments as they have a large window in which to all an election. Naturally they won’t call one in the midst of a scandal, but will wait until the polls favor them.

They still have a House of Lords. They haven’t, for decades, recounted riding populations, like we do in Canada. In Canada, we adjust, basically adding ridings to keep all of them relatively the same in population size. So Labour Party ridings have actually saw a shrinkage in population, and rightly should lose some ridings. That is to their advantage that no counting has been done.