UK Prime Minister Theresa May announces early election less than a year after Brexit fallout

Set your reminders – Thursday 8 June is the day our Facebook feeds will be fizzing with politically-charged comments and personal ructions as the next UK general election takes place.

Prime Minister Theresa May made a surprise announcement outside Downing Street today that Britain will hold a snap general election in June.

The prospect of politics being a paramount feature in UK conversations for the next 51 days will delight those who relish stimulating debate. For others, however, you may encounter a rise in stress and anxiety levels, and want to avoid social media news feeds altogether.

"We need an election and we need one now" - Theresa May

With 30 MPs whose majorities are under 1,000, it’s going to be a campaign-heavy few weeks with a possible state of emergency for rosette stores due to a lack of notice, and a lot of oil needed for the swing-o-meter.

happiful’s advice is time-honoured: take a deep breath, keep calm, and carry on regardless. Politics is important, but health is paramount.

Tomorrow, the House of Commons will vote to approve the election plan. Provided two thirds of MPs vote in favour of the plan, the election will go ahead this summer rather than waiting until the next scheduled election in 2020.

Having previously strongly denied the likelihood of an early election, May qualified today, “I have only recently and reluctantly come to this conclusion. Since I became prime minister I’ve said there should be no election until 2020, but now I have concluded that the only way to guarantee certainty and security for the years ahead is to hold this election and seek your support for the decisions we must take.”

In a controversial time for politics across the globe, the PM says she is handing back power to the people in deciding how the UK moves forward as a country: “We need an election and we need one now.”

Politics being a paramount feature in UK conversations for the next 51 days will delight those who relish stimulating debate. For others, however, you may encounter a rise in stress and anxiety levels, and want to avoid social media news feeds altogether.

While the tactical move of calling a snap election is a smart one by the Conservatives, who are currently the most popular party in the polls, as the US election last year showed, anything can happen on the day. According to the BBC’s Poll of Polls, the Tories will be feeling confident with 43 percent of the UK’s polled participants choosing them, giving them a significant majority over the Labour vote at 25 percent, UKIP at 11 percent, and Liberal Democrats at 10 percent.

With their Summer Bash beloved by the paparazzi and politically-savvy celebs scheduled for 5 June, the Tories have a tactical position to get some last-minute campaign support three days before the election. On the other hand, it could be very awkward later that week to be celebrating prematurely. Maybe they should save the party poppers for when the MPs have officially come home to roost in Parliament.

While the election may have come as a surprise, hopefully there won’t be any snap decisions with our voting. Have your say and make it count on 8 June.

Main image | Frederic Legrand - COMEO / Shutterstock.com