Theresa May announcement

[angieb]

Theresa May is due to make an official announcement at 11:15 - any guesses to what it might be?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-39627690

[panoscouse]

She's going to announce that Geoffreys will be replacing Boris as foreign Secretary.

[angieb]

Started early - general election on 8th June.

[Biddy]

Great move by Mrs May

[Jimgward]

Great move by Mrs May

I agree, even though I oppose her.... I also oppose Corbyn and he will be wiped out...

The SNP will lose seats in Scotland....

Shrewd move...

[WHL]

Clever move, I think she we have a resounding victory.

[aphrodite]

Very clever!

This will be the first time in my adult life that I will not be able to vote. I think all Brits overseas should be able to have a say.

[smudger]

No problem, Corbyn already said that Labour will vote for the election.

[PhotoLady]

No problem, Corbyn already said that Labour will vote for the election.

In an ideal world they should all agree to vote for an election, otherwise it makes it look like they're all totally happy with whoever is running the show at the moment

[Jimgward]

It is very hypocritical of her, when a month ago she said she would not call a GE this year to concentrate on Brexit...

Then she condemned the SNP call for a referendum, as no time to distract from brexit with that....

Now she calls a general election....

She has shown herself to be short on resolve and not sticking to beliefs....

[Dominic]

Given how this will effect everybody, I think it appropriate that the thread remains in the General Discussion area. Please could we keep the established, respecctful tone as this isn't the Politics forum. There will no doubt be threads in the political forum where more robust opinions will be heard about the elections, and buns will indeed fly. Not here though.

[WHL]

After the Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Elections....should we be worried Theresa's on the slippery slope.

[Jimgym]

Good for her. She is facing down her detractors and those who say she has no mandate. For those who opposed Brexit, it is a chance to vote for a party who would take Britain back into Europe. There will always be those however for whom May can do no right.

[surreyboy]

Very clever!

This will be the first time in my adult life that I will not be able to vote. I think all Brits overseas should be able to have a say.

Try this Aphrodite: https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

[josef k]

Or to look at it another way, perhaps (as a remainer during the referendum campaign) she is hoping for a vote that gives a mandate to a party that wants to remain.

Interesting that she calls an election as soon as Geoffreys leaves the forum. He always said he had friends in high places. Am I alone in thinking that this can't be a coincidence?

[ApusApus]

A tactical & calculated move, she knows her chances of winning are very good! If she waits 3 years for the next scheduled election who knows what the state of play will be?


Shane

[Pete G]

Besides the obvious polling advantage, it does solve one of her major problems after the court case

If exiting on the second anniversary of Article 50 notification is made a manifesto promise then, constitutionally, Lords must pass the bill without dissent

With a Labour/Liberal majority, they could have forced her to use the Parliament Act otherwise, and that would have delayed things

[smudger]

"It is very hypocritical of her, when a month ago she said she would not call a GE this year to concentrate on Brexit...

Then she condemned the SNP call for a referendum, as no time to distract from brexit with that....

Now she calls a general election....

She has shown herself to be short on resolve and not sticking to beliefs...."

As Macmillan said - "events dear boy, events"

She's an astute PM responding astutely!

[Firefly]

Well said.

[aphrodite]

Very clever!

This will be the first time in my adult life that I will not be able to vote. I think all Brits overseas should be able to have a say.

Try this Aphrodite: https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

Thanks surreyboy, but I've been living outside the UK for more than 15 years and therefore not elible to vote, I couldn't vote in the referendum. I had been voting up until then by proxy vote.

See here, this will explain