Britons could be heading to the polls again this summer after Prime Minister Theresa May called for an early general election as difficult Brexit negotiations get underway.
The prime minister said, in a surprise statement on Tuesday morning, that her decision had been made "recently and reluctantly", but argued that the U.K. has a "one-off opportunity" to form a unified government while the European Union decides its negotiating position on Brexit.
The early election is due to be held on June 8 but would a need a two-thirds majority by U.K. lawmakers before being made official.
May had said before there would be no snap elections after coming to power shortly after the Brexit vote last June. The prime minister will move a motion in government Wednesday to confirm the election.
Division within the politicians Westminster currently threatens to undermine Britain's chances of securing a fair Brexit deal, May argued, and said that an early election is the only way to guarantee "certainty and stability for the years ahead."
