Today, in an announcement on the steps of Number 10 Downing Street, the Prime Minister Theresa May called a snap General Election.
Professing the need for the Country to have a strong and stable Government to face the challenges ahead, in particular, the upcoming Brexit negotiations, the Prime Minister set a date of June 8 for the election. She said: "Since I became Prime Minister I have said that there should be no election until 2020, but now I have concluded that the only way to guarantee certainty and stability for the years ahead is to hold this election and seek your support for the decisions I must take."
Her intention was supported by Westminster MPs. After a vote in the House of Commons, MPs voted by 522 votes to just 13 in favour of the election.
You can watch the Prime Minister's announcement in full above.