UK Prime Minister Theresa May has announced plans to call a snap general election on 8 June.
She said Britain needed certainty, stability and strong leadership following the EU referendum.
Explaining the decision, Mrs May said: “The country is coming together but Westminster is not.”
Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn said his Labour Party wanted the election, calling it a chance to get a government that puts “the majority first”.
There will be a vote in the House of Commons on Wednesday to approve the election plan – the prime minister needs two thirds of MPs to vote in favour to hold a vote before the next scheduled election date of 2020.
Explaining her change of heart on an early election, Mrs May said: “I have concluded the only way to guarantee certainty and security for years ahead is to hold this election.”
So, could Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, three times married, a tee-totaller and vegetarian, win the next election?
Prof Paul Whitely, from the University of Essex, has been researching the demographic makeup of party membership since 1992 and most recently he has investigated norms in political opinion.
“Voters are not asking themselves, ‘Where is Jeremy Corbyn on the left-right dimension?’ They’re asking themselves: ‘Is this guy saying something which is new which might help me and deal with the problems that Britain faces?’
“The thing about Jeremy Corbyn, whether you agree or disagree with him, is that he has a new narrative and I think that’s what’s exciting people.”
Let’s see first, which party wins . . . but whatever the result it can only mean stability and strength. This ensures that the business community and ordinary home owners will continue to gain in confidence.