Theresa May calls for June general election

April 21, 2017 Speaking outside 10 Downing Street, the Prime Minister  announced on Tuesday her plans to seek a general election for June 8. May accused the opposition parties of threatening the government's agenda and cited the need for  to unite during the negotiations over the specifics of the Brexit, the UK's exit from the European Union. Under the, members of Parliament must approve the snap election by a two-thirds vote in favor. The vote was held on Wednesday in the, with the motion to hold an early election passing 522 to 13.

If her follows pollsters' expectations, May, who became Prime Minister after the resignation of  in the aftermath of the Brexit vote, would expand her majority in the House of Commons. The opposition party is behind in the polls, at half the support of the Conservatives in a recently released poll by  on behalf of .

The move was a reversal from previous statements, as the Prime Minister said earlier that an early election would not take place.