From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, April 19, 2017
UK lawmakers overwhelmingly back June election
LONDON — British lawmakers vote by a resounding 522 to 13 to back UK Prime Minister Theresa May’s call for a national election on June 8.
The result easily surpasses the two-thirds majority of the total number of 650 lawmakers needed to trigger an early vote. There are also a number of abstentions.
May says holding an election in June, rather than as scheduled in 2020, will give the country “certainty and stability” as it negotiates its departure from the European Union.
May is hoping to gain a bigger majority in Parliament for her Conservatives, strengthening her negotiating hand with the EU.
The opposition Labour Party and Liberal Democrats say they welcome the chance to put their policies to voters, though the Scottish National Party says the election call is a cynical ploy.
— AP
The Times of Israel Community.