May’s election plan wins backing of the Commons

SNP victory in Scotland will kill May’s opposition to Indyref2 – Sturgeon

Theresa May won overwhelming Commons support for her snap general election as Nicola Sturgeon revealed she would seek a Westminster alliance to lock the Tories out of power.

The Prime Minister’s plan for a June 8 vote was endorsed by 552 MPs, with the SNP abstaining and 13 voting against.

But she was warned by the First Minister that her attempt to block an independence referendum would “crumble to dust” if the SNP wins the election in Scotland.

Mrs May defended Tuesday’s shock call for the UK to go to the polling booths early in heated exchanges at Prime Minister’s Questions.

Amid claims she wants to “crush” parliamentary dissent, the PM said the SNP and others were using the House of Commons to “frustrate” Brexit.

“I will be asking the British people for a mandate to complete Brexit and to make a success of it,” she told MPs.

“What do we know that the leader of the Labour party, the leader of the Liberal Democrats and the leader of the Scottish nationalists have in common?

“Corbyn, Farron and Sturgeon want to unite together to divide our country, and we will not let them do it.”

Ms Sturgeon, who was in Westminster yesterday to rally her troops, said only the SNP will “stand between Scotland and an increasingly hard-line and right wing Tory Government”.

The SNP leader added she was open to a partnership with Labour and the Liberal Democrats. “If the parliamentary arithmetic lends itself to the SNP being part of a progressive alliance to keep the Tories out of Government then the SNP will seek to be part of that as we said in 2015,” she said.

Jeremy Corbyn, who has ruled out a progressive alliance, welcomed the poll, but attacked the PM over her U-turn and for breaking promises to the electorate.

Challenging Mrs May at PMQs, the Labour leader said: “Isn’t the truth that over the last seven years the Tories have broken every promise on living standards, the deficit, debt, the NHS and schools funding?

“Why should anyone believe a word they say over the next seven weeks?”

Following the Commons motion, there will be a short “wash-up” period to clear up outstanding legislation. Parliament will then be dissolved on May 3, marking the start of the official campaign.

Picture: PA. Laura Kuenssberg with Prime Minister Theresa May on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, after she said a snap election is necessary to prevent opposition parties at Westminster “frustrating” the Brexit process.