British prime minister calls for early vote
LONDON — British Prime Minister Theresa May stunned her nation and its European partners Tuesday with a call for an early national election on June 8, seeking to cement her political backing as Britain moves ahead with difficult negotiations on its break from the European Union.
The surprise announcement, made outside May’s office at 10 Downing Street, comes amid internal political strains over Britain’s exit, known as Brexit, and fresh moves by Scotland to potentially carve its own independent path to remain in the European Union.
The election cannot undo Britain’s break from the E.U., but it will help set the tone for Britain’s contentious talks to split from the bloc, whose 27 remaining leaders have taken a hard line against any major concessions on key issues such as trade.
If May emerges strengthened from the election — as opinion polls currently suggest — she will have greater clout to mute domestic dissent as she buckles down for talks. But if anti-Brexit voices do well in the polls, May could be forced to soften her demands from Europe.
No matter how the vote swings, the six-week election campaign is certain to reopen some of the bitterness of last year’s referendum, as voters are once again asked to consider what kind of country they envision after its E.U. break.
“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,” said May.
May’s tenure has been shaped by the fallout from Brexit. She became prime minister in July, shortly after the referendum that set in motion Britain’s E.U. split and prompted the resignation of her predecessor, David Cameron.
Part of the election call by May is to seek her own political mandate and shrug off an image as Cameron’s replacement after he bet wrong on the Brexit referendum.
May has consolidated power within the Conservative Party. But the lack of her own popular mandate has threatened to become a liability as Britain begins to reckon with the inevitable trade-offs that come with the tricky Brexit talks.
In her announcement, May argued that her political opponents — ranging from the independenceminded Scots to pro-E.U. factions in Parliament — are undermining Britain’s negotiating position with the European Union. At the same time, some hard-liners in her own Conservative Party are baying for a socalled dirty Brexit in which Britain could walk away from the negotiating table without any deals with the European Union.
“The country is coming together, but Westminster is not,” she said, referring to Parliament.
May is sensing political opportunity. Her Conservative Party has a narrow majority, and the opposition Labour Party is struggling in the polls. If she can strengthen her party’s majority, she will have a freer hand to face down both pro-E.U. opponents and anti-Europe firebrands in her own party.
Still, May is taking something of a calculated political gambit. The Conservatives could lose, whereas the next election had been scheduled for 2020.
May had insisted that she would not call for an early election, but the temptation to call a new vote was strong. Allies had been pushing for her to break her vow, thinking that the weakness of the rival parties made the gamble worth taking.
May plans to seek Parliament’s backing for the June 8 election today.