UK PM Theresa May announces plan to call snap general election on 8 June

[IWalkLikeHimaMartian]

Interesting:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-39629603

 

[JohnD]

I wonder why. Is there some terrible disaster happening to the country that she can't cope with?

 

[IWalkLikeHimaMartian]

"The next General Election should be in 2020."
The words of Theresa May who has just executed an enormous political reversal.
For months she and her team have played down the prospect of an early poll.
The reasons were simple. They didn't want to cause instability during Brexit negotiations.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-39628533

Does this mean that she has put the interest of her party above the interest of the country?
Or is she just preparing us for another U-turn sometime in the future?

It will be interesting to see those staunch Labour brexiteers, and the UKIPers swap allegiance.

 

[JohnD]

How do you know when a politician is lying?

her lips move.

 

[Mottie]

I make her right. Situation has changed since then. Like it or, we're leaving the EU so we need to be strong. Doesn't help our (UK's) case when you've got all the others squabbling and stalling. Hopefully after June 8th, we'll see the last of Corbyn and the spiteful Scottish midget.

 

[Nozzle]

Strategically, the timing is spot-on. Labour are weak, Lib dems are strong, but have an opinion that the majority doesn't agree with. In Scotland, the SNP are strong and those Scots who don't want independence (anecdotally, I get the gist that's quite a few) have the choice of Labour or Tory. The Tories, once toxic in Scotland are beginning to make in-roads with Ruth Davidson. Labour now being about the London Elite even more so than the Tories of the 70s & 80s that 'they' came to despise. There's no point to UKIP any more, their work is done. I could imagine a hung parliament and Labour/Lib dem trying to get an minority government, but unless Labour changes it's leader it has less chance than a snowball in hell.



Nozzle

 

[Brigadier]

How do you know when a politician is lying?

her lips move.

That's what power means, must stick in your craw.

 

[wobs]

By the end of the year, we could reminiscing about what it was like to have an opposition party.

 

[blightymam]

How do you know when a politician is lying?

her lips move.

A politician who doesn't keep their promises, whatever next!

 

[Doug99]

GO FOR IT GIRL......... This will wipe away all the Remoaners' arguments that TM has no mandate. Labour, SNP and Lib Dems will now have a Commons vote on whether to grant the General Election in the full knowledge that the Tories have a massive lead in the polls. Any who vote against will be declaring that they are happy with the current government. Its a wonderful scenario of them being between a rock and a hard place.

U-Turn?........ TM has been backed against a wall regarding complaints of mandate, divided country et al so she is showing backbone to challenge her detractors.

Recent Brexit polls are suggesting that many more are supporting Brexit.

The £ is strengthening on the news because the markets know that a Tory government with a larger majority will be better placed to manage the Brexit negotiations.

Who says politics is dull? The TV bun fights over the next 7 weeks are going to be riveting.

This early election also stuffs up Aaron Banks who was looking to challenge in 2020 with a new peoples party.

 

[IWalkLikeHimaMartian]

Maybe it is a cynical ploy by Mrs May to a) deny Scots another referendum, and b) to deny NI another election.

We know that Mrs May has ruled out another Scots IndyRef, saying:

May said: "When the SNP government say that now is the time to start talking about a second independence referendum, I say that just at this point all of our energies should be focused on our negotiations with the European Union about our future relationship.

http://www.newstatesman.com/politic...ve-nicola-sturgeon-second-scottish-referendum
We also know that the NI Secratary of State James Brokenshire said:

Could Northern Ireland be set for its third assembly election in less than 12 months? James Brokenshire seems to think so. That the Northern Ireland secretary is talking up the prospect of another snap poll ...

http://www.newstatesman.com/politic...ond-election-james-brokenshire-seems-think-so

We also know that Mrs May is not neutral about NI:

The Conservative Party has a "preference that Northern Ireland should remain part of the UK", Prime Minister Theresa May has said.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-39433135

How come now is not the time for another Scots IndyRef, but it is OK to hold another GE, when Mrs May has already ruled it out once as distracting from Brexit?
It is also difficult to imagine how another NI election can be managed within a similar time frame, so it will result in direct rule being imposed from Westminster!

The more one looks into it the more cynical the decision appears.

 

[Nozzle]

They've only just had a General Election in NI, less than 4 weeks ago. Holding another would achieve nothing. It should, and appears to be, a priority for the UK Govt not to rock the boat in NI. Simplistically it would be better to allow NI to become a part of the republic, but the resultant withdrawal of British govt would put many millions of lives/livelihoods at direct risk.

Nozzle

 

[IWalkLikeHimaMartian]

The £ is strengthening on the news because the markets know that a Tory government with a larger majority will be better placed to manage the Brexit negotiations.

I think you will find that the recovery of the GBP is due to closing of speculative sterling short positions. They might never have a better chance:

Others agree.
"As speculative investors have been excessively short for a while, this sterling recovery has probably triggered the closing of some of these excessive speculative sterling short positions.

https://www.poundsterlinglive.com/gbp-live-today/6617-gbp-to-eur-and-usd-short-squeeze

Also the recovery is expected to be short-lived and GBP to worsen in coming weeks and months:

If we are indeed seeing a short-squeeze, we would expect the momentum behind Sterling to eventually fade as market positioning adjusts and becomes more balanced.
Once this is done the UK currency could well be exposed to downside forces once again, particularly as a general election introduces fresh uncertainty.
And markets hate uncertainty.

https://www.poundsterlinglive.com/gbp-live-today/6617-gbp-to-eur-and-usd-short-squeeze

So enjoy it while it lasts.

 

[IWalkLikeHimaMartian]

They've only just had a General Election in NI, less than 4 weeks ago. Holding another would achieve nothing.

Unless it was a strengthening of DUP or Sinn Fein positions, which might alleviate the current deadlock. A strengthening of Sinn Fein positions would almost bound to guarantee a NI, Irish Republic referendum over unity.

It should, and appears to be, a priority for the UK Govt not to rock the boat in NI.

You think that imposing direct rule will not 'rock the boat'?

Simplistically it would be better to allow NI to become a part of the republic, but the resultant withdrawal of British govt would put many millions of lives/livelyhoods at direct risk.
Nozzle

I disagree. Imposing direct rule from Westminster, and/or a hard border is more likely to increase the risk to lives and livelihoods.

 

[Nozzle]

I don't buy your talk of direct rule, it's a straw man. The NI executive has an elected government, the direct rule approach WOULD have been to ensure there was no power vacuum, rather than some ulterior motive.

Nozzle