BREAKING: Theresa May calls snap General Election

Parliament returned to work this morning after the Easter recess and Theresa May began the morning by announcing that she would be making a statement on the steps of number 10.

A Prime Ministerial statement from Downing Street is reserved for the most serious of political occasions – military action, a grave security incident, a major resignation, or the announcement of a General Election.

Rumours began flying immediately in political circles and speculation that Theresa May had decided to go to the country was widely accepted to be the most likely reason for the unusual announcement.

Moments ago, Theresa May put the issue beyond doubt.

She is to seek parliament’s consent to hold a General Election on June 8.

In the wake of last year’s EU referendum vote and the former Prime Minister David Cameron’s decision to resign, there had been calls from some quarters that a General Election should be held to allow the country to vote on the type of Brexit deal that the new government was proposing to pursue.

Theresa May had, until now, resisted those calls. She made it clear that her focus was on triggering Article 50 and beginning negotiations to secure our exit from the European Union.

It is not yet clear why she has changed her mind, but with a working majority of just 17 in the House of Commons it is possible that she believes a larger majority may be needed to secure the consent of parliament on the most contentious elements of the Brexit deal.

The announcement also comes just days after new polls showed Labour trailing by a record margin in opinion polls with the party’s leader, Jeremy Corbyn, seeing record low rates of personal disapproval.

Of course triggering an election is no longer as simple as it once was. The Fixed Term Parliament Act which was introduced under the Conservative and Lib Dem coalition government sets parliamentary terms, in theory, at the five year mark.

To be allowed to hold an election the Prime Minister must either secure a two thirds majority in parliament to do so or lose a vote of no confidence in her government, intentionally or otherwise.

During her announcement, she revealed that tomorrow she will go to parliament to secure the support she needs.

She challenged Labour and the other opposition parties to back her call for a vote and to let the people decide what the country's future direction should look like.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn had previously said his party would vote in favour of a General Election – but with polls suggesting Labour would be in line for a significant defeat there was some question as to whether enough of his MPs would follow his lead on the matter.

But the Leader of the Opposition moved quickly to make his position clear following the announcement.

He said: "I welcome the Prime Minister’s decision to give the British people the chance to vote for a government that will put the interests of the majority first.

"Labour will be offering the country an effective alternative to a government that has failed to rebuild the economy, delivered falling living standards and damaging cuts to our schools and NHS.

"In the last couple of weeks, Labour has set out policies that offer a clear and credible choice for the country. We look forward to showing how Labour will stand up for the people of Britain."

It is not yet clear who the party will select to contest the election in Swindon, or who the prospective candidates for that selection might be.  

The town is divided into two parliamentary constituencies – North and South.

Both have been represented by Conservative MPs since the 2010 General Election having previously been Labour seats.

Swindon was, at one point, seen as a marginal town with narrow majorities a common occurrence. But in the 2015 election, the gap between the parties in both constituencies has widened.

In North Swindon, Justin Tomlinson extended his share of the vote from 44 to 50 per cent, winning with a 22 per cent majority.

In the south of the town, Robert Buckland claimed victory with 46.2 per cent of the vote compared to 41.8 per cent in 2010. His majority is 11.7 per cent.

In her full Downing Street statement Theresa May said: "I have just chaired a meeting of the Cabinet, where we agreed that the Government should call a general election, to be held on June 8.

"I want to explain the reasons for that decision, what will happen next and the choice facing the British people when you come to vote in this election.

"Last summer, after the country voted to leave the European Union, Britain needed certainty, stability and strong leadership, and since I became Prime Minister the Government has delivered precisely that.

"Despite predictions of immediate financial and economic danger, since the referendum we have seen consumer confidence remain high, record numbers of jobs, and economic growth that has exceeded all expectations.

"We have also delivered on the mandate that we were handed by the referendum result."

"Britain is leaving the European Union and there can be no turning back. And as we look to the future, the Government has the right plan for negotiating our new relationship with Europe.

"We want a deep and special partnership between a strong and successful European Union and a United Kingdom that is free to chart its own way in the world.

"That means we will regain control of our own money, our own laws and our own borders and we will be free to strike trade deals with old friends and new partners all around the world.

"This is the right approach, and it is in the national interest. But the other political parties oppose it.

"At this moment of enormous national significance there should be unity here in Westminster, but instead there is division.

"The country is coming together, but Westminster is not.

"In recent weeks Labour has threatened to vote against the deal we reach with the European Union.

"The Liberal Democrats have said they want to grind the business of government to a standsill.

"The Scottish National Party say they will vote against the legislation that formally repeals Britain's membership of the European Union.

"And unelected members of the House of Lords have vowed to fight us every step of the way.

"Our opponents believe that because the Government's majority is so small, our resolve will weaken and that they can force us to change course.

"They are wrong.

"They under-estimate our determination to get the job done and I am not prepared to let them endanger the security of millions of working people across the country.

"Because what they are doing jeopardises the work we must do to prepare for Brexit at home and it weakens the Government's negotiating position in Europe.

"If we do not hold a general election now their political game-playing will continue, and the negotiations with the European Union will reach their most difficult stage in the run-up to the next scheduled election.

"Division in Westminster will risk our ability to make a success of Brexit and it will cause damaging uncertainty and instability to the country.

"So we need a general election and we need one now, because we have at this moment a one-off chance to get this done while the European Union agrees its negotiating position and before the detailed talks begin.

"I have only recently and reluctantly come to this conclusion.

"Since I became Prime Minister I have said that there should be no election until 2020, but now I have concluded that 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 must take.

"And so tomorrow I will move a motion in the House of Commons calling for a general election to be held on the eighth of June.

"That motion, as set out by the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act, will require a two-thirds majority of the House of Commons.

"So I have a simple challenge to the opposition parties, you have criticised the Government's vision for Brexit, you have challenged our objectives, you have threatened to block the legislation we put before Parliament.

"This is your moment to show you mean it, to show you are not opposing the Government for the sake of it, to show that you do not treat politics as a game.

"Let us tomorrow vote for an election, let us put forward our plans for Brexit and our alternative programmes for government and then let the people decide.

"And the decision facing the country will be all about leadership. It will be a choice between strong and stable leadership in the national interest, with me as your Prime Minister, or weak and unstable coalition government, led by Jeremy Corbyn, propped up by the Liberal Democrats - who want to reopen the divisions of the referendum - and Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP.

"Every vote for the Conservatives will make it harder for opposition politicians who want to stop me from getting the job done.

"Every vote for the Conservatives will make me stronger when I negotiate for Britain with the prime ministers, presidents and chancellors of the European Union.

"Every vote for the Conservatives means we can stick to our plan for a stronger Britain and take the right long-term decisions for a more secure future.

"It was with reluctance that I decided the country needs this election, but it is with strong conviction that I say it is necessary to secure the strong and stable leadership the country needs to see us through Brexit and beyond.

"So, tomorrow, let the House of Commons vote for an election, let everybody put forward their proposals for Brexit and their programmes for Government, and let us remove the risk of uncertainty and instability and continue to give the country the strong and stable leadership it demands."