What's next and what's at stake in UK snap election

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The main opposition Labour Party is still in a state of civil war under its leader Jeremy Corbyn who remains estranged from many of his own MPs.

Mrs May is also taking advantage of the fact that European Union leaders will not be ready to start formal negotiations about Brexit until the autumn. But in a shock announcement today, Theresa May said that without a stronger conservative majority Brexit could be in jeopardy.

British Prime Minister Theresa May has stunned the United Kingdom political world by calling for an early general election, seeking a stronger mandate in talks over leaving the European Union.

Standing outside her Downing Street office, May said she had been reluctant about asking parliament to back her move to bring forward the election from 2020, but decided it was necessary to win support for her ruling Conservative Party's efforts to press ahead with Britain's departure from the EU.

"This is Theresa May's attempt to free herself from some of the constraints she's under and get the mandate to execute the hard Brexit she's been talking about", said Mujtaba Rahman, managing director of the Eurasia Group.

"The country is coming together, Westminster is not", said May in her statement.

There will be a vote in the House of Commons on Wednesday to approve the election plan - the Labour opposition party it will vote in favour.

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The US government awards 65,000 visas by lottery a year and randomly distributes a further 20,000 to graduate student workers. The administration said that if the waivers are not benefiting the United States they will be "renegotiated or revoked".

But Brexit has divided the House along party lines, and MPs from minor parties continue to oppose withdrawal.

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".

The May government has also faced resurgent Scottish National Party (SNP), which holds 54 seats. For the Liberal Democrats, leader Tim Farron signaled he'd support the motion and urged voters who oppose leaving the European Union to back his party.

He made clear that his party meant to keep pushing the government on hot-button Brexit issues, including migration, as well as May's announcements that the country is in for a "hard Brexit" and that Britain would leave the EU's single market and customs union, essentially a free-trade zone.

"Only the Liberal Democrats can prevent a Conservative majority", he added.

Political observers say May wants to settle once and for all the question of Brexit by going to the country.

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