This morning theresa May stunned both Parliament and the country at large by calling a snap general election to be held on May 8th, leaving MP's, Lords, and both upper and Lower Houses in a state of surprise.
General Election incoming
It has been clear that since taking office last June the Prime-Minister has lived under the shadow of the previous Conservative administration, never attaining her own mandate to rule as she would see fit. This has left her vulnerable to attacks from her detractors on the tenability of her office; a position she certainly set out to rectify this morning.
A government that seems to have never gained a real semblance of stability since the Brexit vote that ousted David Cameron and brought Ms.May to power, has remained beleaguered by constant sniping from both inside and outside the party. Now, with a decisive move, she can silence those critics who have consistently carped and complained as knowing that the government's overall majority is small, she could be defeated on any legislation she wished to put before the house. By calling a snap election she now shows that she wishes to test the conservative vote in the country and therefore return to government with a large majority.
If she wins she will be able to implement her cabinets idea's as she see's fit.
That win, of course, is a strong possibility considering she currently leads her nearest rival's the Labour Party, You-Gov poll at the weekend, by an impressive 21 points. All in all quite a Volte-face from her earlier protestations that an election would hurt the country and cause deep disquiet and unrest in a time when unity is most needed.
Which way will Britain swing?
Moving to calm the muddy waters of Westminster as Brexit gets into its stride is a shrewd move on her part indeed, as going up against Jeremy Corbyn's weakened leadership could decimate Labour's vote in the house and strengthen her own. It would also seem prudent at this time to put things in perspective ahead of the French elections on May 8th - and any result that may throw up - and also the impact of the German elections later in the year.
It would also mean that the country is going to the polls yet again, barely 2 years after David Cameron's victory in 2015.
it is also interesting to note that that election saw the demise of then labour leader Ed Milliband and the stagnation of both the Lib-Dem's (who also lost their leader) and the UKIP dreams of pushing forward. Once can only wonder what the coming weeks will do to all those who have lost ground in that time, no matter party affiliation and political doctrine.
