On Wednesday, the UK House of Commons backed Prime Minister Theresa May’s bid for an early general election on June 8. May said the snap election was aimed at overcoming divisions in parliament, succeeding in Brexit negotiations with the European Union, and ensuring stability in the country.
“Governments always like larger majorities, but they don’t necessarily lead to better government. The main effect of the snap election on the Brexit process will be to delay the start of negotiations … Whether the election will contribute to stability remains to be seen,” a member of the UK parliament’s Committee on Exiting the European Union from the Labour Party, Stephen Timms said.
The Labour Party would do everything it could to prevent an increase of the Conservative party majority, he added.
The snap election decision came as polls showed Conservative gains, thereby possibly allowing the government to expand its parliamentary majority. The move has, in any case, been welcomed by the opposition with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who stated the party would contest the government over its failure to fix the economy and public services.
On Wednesday, London Mayor Sadiq Khan urged UK citizens to vote for the Labour Party in order to both avoid a “hard Brexit,” and ensure a mutually beneficial agreement with Europe on the single market and migration policy.
On March 29, the United Kingdom launched the Brexit process by sending an official notification on withdrawal to European Council President Donald Tusk. London is expected to finish the Brexit negotiations before March 29, 2019.