May seeks British election June 8

Mrs May's Conservatives, who were split on the issue of European Union membership ahead of last year's referendum, are now far ahead of Labour, the main opposition party, according to opinion polls.

Prime Minister Theresa May accused her opponents of "political game-playing" and undermining the country in the upcoming talks to exit the European Union.

Speaking outside her Downing Street residence in London, May, 60, warned that "division in Westminster will risk our ability to make a success of Brexit".

Theresa May, who was a year ago saying that she did not want to call an early election, has seen the clear need to change course, and to increase the size of her operating majority in the House of Commons.

On Wednesday May will move a motion in the House of Commons calling for general election to be held on June 8 and she will need Parliament's backing to hold a vote before 2020.

But she has previously said she will stay in office until the next scheduled national election, in 2020. "We need a general election and we need one now.

The country needs a government that will rebuild our mismanaged economy and invest in the NHS, schools, and social care, reversing damaging cuts", she said.

She added that "the decision facing the country will be all about leadership", seemingly taking aim at other party leaders, specifically the Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Labour's Jeremy Corbyn.

Downing Street has always denied a vote would be held before the next scheduled election in 2020.

"She has a lot of MPs in her own party that are hardcore "Brexiteers" and that have threatened to block some of the softer versions of Brexit that inevitably will come out of the negotiations with Brussels", said Novy.

However before the election gets approval, it must be passed through the House of Commons with at least two thirds of MPs agreeing with the notion.

She called on voters to throw their support behind her Conservative Party, adding that "every vote for the Conservatives will make me stronger" in Brexit talks.

It was part of her three-point manifesto for why she should be Tory leader after David Cameron's resignation post-EU referendum, along with promising strong leadership and vowing to ensure that "Brexit means Brexit".

May will hope the election will boost her slim majority in parliament and give her a new mandate to put her stamp on domestic reforms in education and health and strengthen her hand in talks with the European Union, which will start in earnest in June.

Corbyn, a veteran socialist with support on the left of the party, won the Labour leadership in September 2015 after the party's defeat in that year's election. Let us put forward our plans for Brexit and our alternative programmes for Government and then let the people decide.