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Live: Theresa May calls for snap General Election on June 8

Theresa May has called for a snap General Election on June 8.

It comes less than a month after Downing Street said an early election was "not going to happen".

Here are the latest developments:

  • Mrs May said she had "reluctantly" come to the decision as Westminster was too divided going into Brexit negotiations
  • The prime minister needs the backing of two-thirds of MPs to hold the election, with a vote due in the Commons on Wednesday
  • Mrs May told ITV News she made the decision during her recent walking holiday in Wales
  • Opposition party leaders, including Labour's Jeremy Corbyn, have welcomed the announcement
  • Nicola Sturgeon said Mrs May has made a "huge political miscalculation"
  • The pound rose against the dollar following the news
View all 37 updates ›

Theresa May's snap election could be a 'gamble'

Prime Minister Theresa May made a surprise U-turn today and called for an early General Election - despite repeatedly ruling it out in the past.

Mrs May's decision raised questions over why she has taken the risk of putting her future in the hands of voters in "a gamble she didn't need to take".

But polls put her popularity ahead of other leaders, leading to suggestions that could be behind the timing of the vote.

ITV News Political Correspondent Libby Wiener reports:

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Live: Theresa May calls for snap General Election on June 8

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