May calls snap general election for 8 June.

[Denzil_DC]

Only sketchy details so far, but widely reported.

Timeline from the Telegraph:

Breaking: General Election to be held on June 8
Theresa May has just confirmed that a General Election will be held on June 8.

May: 'The country is coming together, but Westminster is not'
Justifying the decision, Mrs May said: "The country is coming together, but Westminster is not."

'Division in Westminster will risk our ability to make a success of Brexit'
The Prime Minister said "division in Westminster will risk our ability to make a success of Brexit".

Why she changed her mind over early election
Explaining her change of heart on an early election, Mrs May said: "I have concluded the only way to guarantee certainty and security for years ahead is to hold this election."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/04/18/breaking-theresa-may-make-statement-downing-street-1115am1/

The fixed-term Parliament Act means she'll need to get 434 MPs to vote in the Commons to dissolve Parliament.

The timing, less than a month after the local and mayoral elections, will raise a few eyebrows.

I'm wondering who's telling her "the country is coming together", as she obviously moves in very different circles to me.

[LeftishBrit]

1. I am not optimistic; the media are so RW and pro-Brexit, and Labour is in a bit of a mess

And, as you say, how is she able to just announce it, given the Fixed Term Parliament Act?

[Denzil_DC]

2. She's announced there will be a vote in Parliament tomorrow.

The announcement and timing are curious.

Michael Deacon at the Telegraph observes:

Extraordinarily blunt message from Theresa May, attacking other parties for threatening Brexit with their "game-playing". Quite explicitly, she's saying to the public: vote Tory, or Brexit is screwed

As Theresa May says a successful Brexit can only be achieved with a big Tory majority - where does this leave Ukip? Will Nigel Farage and Paul Nuttall agree, and not fight the election? How will they counter Mrs May's argument that Brexit requires a Tory landslide?

Anti-Corbyn Labour MPs will be in a dilemma. Will they really relish voting for a general election? On the one hand, a general election represents their best chance of getting rid of Jeremy Corbyn. On the other hand, it also puts their own jobs at risk...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/04/18/breaking-theresa-may-make-statement-downing-street-1115am1/#update-20170418-1117

I've seen no evidence of May having problems because of lack of backing in Parliament. This may be more aimed to forestall the Lords by seeking a clear mandate. She'll no doubt have been buoyed by recent opinion polls that give the Tories a healthy majority.

As the Guardian's Matthew Weaver mentions:

Just before she assumed the role of prime minister she said there would be no early election under her leadership. On 30 June, in the speech that launched her bid, she explicitly ruled it out.

Then in her first major interview after taking office, she told the Andrew Marr Show last September that the UK needed a period of stability after the shock Brexit vote.

She said: “I’m not going to be calling a snap election. I’ve been very clear that I think we need that period of time, that stability, to be able to deal with the issues that the country is facing and have that election in 2020.”

As recently as last month Downing Street said that an early election was “not going to happen”.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/blog/live/2017/apr/18/corbyn-cressida-dick-met-police-a-gun-may-not-have-saved-pc-killed-in-westminster-terror-attack-says-new-met-chief-politics-live?page=with:block-58f5e729e4b0e0ec04f02002#block-58f5e729e4b0e0ec04f02002

This will certainly add a few wrinkles to the local elections in Scotland!

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. She's daring Corbyn to turn it down

If he does, then she'll use that for all the time he's leader, saying he has no confidence in himself or his party. If he agrees (well, if a significant part of Labour agrees to it), the polls say she'll win a big majority now.

It's cynically opportunistic.

[SwissTony]

4. I just posted a link in LBN.

Denzil was a couple of minutes ahead of me, but I thought it would be of interest to non-UKers.

[Denzil_DC]

5. Thanks, Tony.

The LBN post is here: https://www.democraticunderground.com/10141755410

ETA: Muriel says that post's a duplicate, so here's the earlier one Muriel started in LBN: https://www.democraticunderground.com/10141755396

[SwissTony]

6. I've deleted my duplicate thread. Thanks, Denzil. n/t

[Denzil_DC]

7. First casualty: Labour's Tom Blenkinsop,

a Corbyn critic:

Link to tweet

Tom Blenkinsop‏ @TomBlenkinsop

I will not be standing for re-election http://tomblenkinsop.com/2017/04/18/i-will-not-be-seeking-re-election-as-the-member-of-parliament-for-middlesbrough-south-and-east-cleveland/ …

Arron Banks has said he'll stand against recent re-defector to the Tories Douglas Carswell in Clacton, so that will be fun. Will Farage try to make it eighth time lucky by seeking election?

Corbyn and the Lib Dems have confirmed that they will back the no confidence vote tomorrow to trigger the election. I expect the SNP will, too.

[Denzil_DC]

12. No such fun: Carswell announces he won't seek re-election.

I have never felt more proud and honoured than when representing my Essex constituents in the House of Commons.

Over the past twelve years I have had great fun working with, and getting to know, many wonderful local people. Together, we ran all sorts of local campaigns, from safeguarding local services to getting a new seafront. Local has always come first.

As I promised in my maiden speech, I have done everything possible to ensure we got, and won, a referendum to leave the European Union - even changing parties and triggering a by election to help nudge things along. Last summer, we won that referendum. Britain is going to become a sovereign country again.

I have decided that I will not now be seeking re-election. I intend to vote Conservative ‪on June 8th and will be offering my full support to whoever the Clacton Constituency Conservatives select as their candidate.

http://www.talkcarswell.com/home/over-and-out/3246

[Denzil_DC]

8. The timing of this is all arse about face.

It would have made more sense to call the election first, then trigger Article 50.

There were already problems with the Article 50 timing (as many pointed out) because of significant elections coming up in various major EU countries. The timing of initial negotiations has already stuttered because of this, and they were due to start in earnest on 8 June.

May has now given the UK and EU just 16 months to complete the negotiations.

On the plus side, we now get to enjoy 51 days of general election campaigning ...

[T_i_B]

9. They must know that leaving the EU is going to be a disaster.

However, with the opposition being in the state they are they are guaranteed to win a landslide.

And my local area is set to get a Tory MP for the first time since 1935. Can't see Natascha Engel being able to win re-election.

[Denzil_DC]

10. The run-up to leaving it isn't looking too rosy, either:

Link to tweet

Richard Murphy @RichardJMurphy

The reason for calling a general election now? Because May knows a recession is coming and is getting in first

[muriel_volestrangler]

11. Alan Johnson standing down; Manchester by-election likely to be cancelled

Alan Johnson, the Labour former home secretary who for several years was top of the list of ‘best alternative leaders’ for many in the party, has announced he is standing down. In a letter to his local party, posted on the Guido Fawkes website, he says:

For me the personal decision is whether to retire now or in 2022 when I’ll be into my 70s.

I’ve decided that going now will give me the opportunity to do other things with my life and is therefore in the best interests of me and my family. I also think it’s best for the party.

...
David Lidington, the leader of the Commons, has just told MPs that there is no rule saying what should happen in the case of the Manchester Gorton byelection, which was due to take place on 4 May, after the dissolution of parliament, thereby electing an MP to a parliament no longer sitting. It is all up to the discretion of the acting returning officer, he says. But he says he would expect the byelection to be cancelled, as happened when this last occurred in November 1923.

Labour sources have already said it will be cancelled.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/blog/live/2017/apr/18/corbyn-cressida-dick-met-police-a-gun-may-not-have-saved-pc-killed-in-westminster-terror-attack-says-new-met-chief-politics-live#58f62cd7e4b05776df18ecdf