Great Britain: Theresa May announces a precipitous general election for 8th June

"At this moment of enormous national significance, there should be unity here in Westminster", the Conservative leader said.

Her Conservative party has a relatively slim majority in the House of Commons, won in 2015 under the previous leader David Cameron.

"However, we believe that the Prime Minister's decision to call this election is a cynical decision driven more by the weakness of Corbyn's Labour Party rather than the good of the country".

She has, after all, only been in office since July of previous year, after winning a leadership contest triggered by David Cameron's resignation (itself triggered by the shock victory of a referendum to withdraw the United Kingdom from the EU). This is despite May and her team having repeatedly ruled out going to the country early.

"I think she is coming across as a very strong leader and a very principled leader".

Councillor Terry Jones, head of the Southport Conservative Group, said: "We are pleased to hear the PM has called a general election for June 8".

Cable remained at its highest in four months at the time of writing and the FTSE 100 was down by the most since the Brexit vote.

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".

That is highly likely to happen on Wednesday. A victory in the snap election would formally give May, who became prime minister after the U.K.'s vote to quit the. But even that basic framework - which spelled out that Britain would leave the EU's single market - caused divisions in her party and involved several rounds of deliberations before a coherent plan could be presented.

"This election is an opportunity to send a message to the government that they must fund our health and care services properly", he said.

Polls give May's Conservatives a double-digit lead on Labour.

The election campaign will put Mrs May's Brexit strategy to the test and could reopen divisions of the European Union referendum campaign.

Germany's foreign minister says he hopes Britain's early election will lead to more clarity and predictability in upcoming negotiations on the country's exit from the European Union.

Sturgeon said Tuesday that May was seeking "to crush the voices of people who disagree with her".

And he pledged he would be standing again in his current seat.

The pound strengthened by nearly half a cent against the dollar as May spoke, reflecting investor relief that earlier rumours of a shock resignation did not transpire.