Theresa May vows to put Brexit at heart of UK election campaign

British Prime Minister Theresa May has announced that she is calling for an early election on June 8, describing it as the “only way to guarantee certainty and stability for the years ahead” as the U.K. prepares to negotiate its exit from the European Union.

Theresa May has promised to put Brexit at the heart of her campaign for a fresh electoral mandate on June 8th, less than a year after Britain voted in a referendum to leave the European Union.

In a statement outside 10 Downing Street which took Westminster by surprise on Tuesday morning, the prime minister said she needed a bigger parliamentary majority to strengthen her hand in negotiations with the EU.

“Every vote for the Conservatives will make it harder for opposition politicians who want to stop me from getting the job done. Every vote for the Conservatives will make me stronger when I negotiate for Britain with the prime ministers, presidents and chancellors of the European Union,” she said

The decision was immediately welcomed by the head of the Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn. He called it a “chance to vote for a government that will put the interests of the majority first.”

Mrs. May’s proposal for a snap election on June 8 broke her oft-repeated vow not to call an early vote and was aimed at exploiting her popularity to gain more parliamentary seats. But it also provides a new opportunity for Britain’s anti-Brexit voices to be heard, reopening the bitter disagreements that polarized Britons over their nation’s future during the Brexit referendum campaign.