Why do we need a general election now?

[SpiceAddict]

Conservative are obviously going to win. What's the point in doing this now?

[Batgirlspants]

herotherhalf

That made me laugh

[MsHooliesCardigan]

Sorry for being thick but shouldn't she have to repeal the FTPA before she can announce this? Obviously not. The only silver lining I can see as a Labour supporter is that surely JC will have to resign when if Labour gets obliterated which will give them a chance to regroup. The other benefit is that, if TM is in power until 2022, the Tories really can't still be pinning the blame for anything on the last Labour government and will have to accept total responsibility for the shitstorm that Brexit is going to be.

[The80sweregreat]

ceto, i agree, its very dishonest and dirty tactics, but she knows that labour are pretty dead in the water so taking her chances. once a tory always a tory i'm afraid and politics is a cut throat business. She said she wouldnt do this and has now changed her mind - its put everyone on the back feet big time and others are kicking themselves that they didnt see it coming. who'd be a politician?

[Ceto]

I'd put Twickenham into that list of seats of potential seat changes. It was Cable's seat and he suffered from the backlash against the coalition last time - and Richmond next door went Liberal at a by-election as a direct result of the Brexit protest vote.

[Ceto]

She has to get a two thirds majority under the FTPA to call the election, and the vote will be held tomorrow. Corbyn has said Labour won't oppose it.

[Batgirlspants]

NotALotta

Because the opposition party is a laughing stock led by Corbyn. Labour are to blame for this totally. Look to your members not to the general electorate. Stop blaming everyone else like Corbyn does and take a long hard look st yourselves and what labour is doing. Fuck all holding the tories to account.

[CaptainBrickbeard]

The Lib Dems have been making ground with their anti-Brexit stance. Voting has been pretty unpredictable in the past year so I don't think we can say with any true certainty what will happen. If the Lib Dems get the Remainers then who knows? The odds are in favour of the Tories, but I'm hoping this gamble massively backfires on them. I'll be voting Lib Dem without hesitation and I'll be holding on to the hope, however unlikely, that this is our route out of Brexit and back into the EU. Recent politics demonstrate that stranger things have happened!

[flyingwithwings]

Every Politician of every color would have opted for an election.

The decider i think was the two polls indicating a 21% lead !

23% i think is what Micheal Foot achieved in the 1983 General Election

23% is historically important number for the Conservative Party.....

[RoseAndRose]

Corbyn has said Labour will be offering a Brexit that works for all. So they'll have to start talking about what their view of that actually is.

[alltouchedout]

Hung parliament with Tories in minority

That'd be the best we could hope for, but I think we'll have a massive Tory majority.

[purplegreen99]

It's not about whether we 'need' an election. May wants an election while there is no opposition because she believes it will consolidate her power and guarantee her a longer period in power. I hope she will be proved wrong, but I doubt it. So much for the idea of fixed term parliaments getting rid of uncertainty and no more elections being called for strategic reasons - that bit of legislation was a complete waste of time and public money.

[The80sweregreat]

Corbyn should go now and let someone else take over - never happened before but its their only real hope.
it will be so sad to see him humiliated - but he seems very unaware of it!
its all very surreal.

[Puzzledandpissedoff]

Call me dense but I genuinely can't understand why JC is saying his party won't oppose this ... I'm no labour voter, but does he actually want them to be wiped out??

On the other hand, perhaps that's what it will take to get a proper opposition back?

[flyingwithwings]

Captain However the Lib Dems are starting from a base of 7% and 7 MPs it will be a great achievement for them to double their vote to 15% and 15 MPs . However , i can only see the Tories losing about 3% say on polling trends, the Tories 3% swing to the Lib Dems being wiped out by UKIP currently polling at 10% but come GE 3% swing back to the Conservatives.

Hence 44% 23% 15% 7% prediction.

I think the Lib Dems are likely to win seats such as Burnley for instance traditional Labour Seats...

[MsHooliesCardigan]

One thing that I would love to come out of this is that we get rid of FPTP.
If you look at flyings predictions, Labour get 23% of the vote and 151 seats.
The LDs and UKIP combined get 22% of the vote and 15 seats.
The SNP get 4.8% of the vote and 55 seats.
No voting system is perfect but that is pretty indefensible and leads to a huge amount of voter apathy because, for the millions of voters who live in safe seats and don't support the party of the sitting MP, voting is pretty much a waste of time. All GEs revolve around a small number of margin seats.

[Giddyaunt18]

Very good decision imo. She looks strong and in control and wants to concentrate on seeing Brexit through without the issues that an upcoming election in 2020 just as we exit EU in 2019, would bring. I like that it's short notice so that all the surrounding hype won't last too long. I really hope non of the parties blow silly amounts of money on their campaigns.

[Turisas]

Political manouvering. But it's all the other parties that are playing games, apparently.

[cdtaylornats]

One Labour MP has said he will vote against an election, probably because his majority was less than 100

[flyingwithwings]

Call me dense but I genuinely can't understand why JC is saying his party won't oppose this ... I'm no labour voter, but does he actually want them to be wiped out?? confused


Because if you deny the public a chance of a vote, you would quite rightly be 'ridiculed' and would become a complete 'laughing' stock...

[blaeberry]

Corbyn can't not oppose it - it would be admitting he couldn't win and he would be voting to keep the conservatives in power!

[Giddyaunt18]

We don't need one. It's a cynical attempt to extend Tory rule for as long as possible.
Any PM in her position would do the same, they are all as bad as each other!

[The80sweregreat]

The Tories are going to win, that much is clear.
Just heard JC, he doesnt sound convincing and nobody will trust the lib dems after 2010.
i was depressed today, feel worse now.

[Batgirlspants]

Corbyn is thin skinned and conceited. I hope this election wipes him out and labour can rebuild but it's a disgraceful phase in labours history.

[shellhider]

I think it's mainly so May has the confirmation that the country is behind her with all the conflict and uncertainly over brexit and stuff

Great, so we have a PM with low self esteem who needs reassurance then?!