Oh, Snap!

By calling an early election, Theresa May hopes to strengthen her hand in Brexit negotiations

 “It’s smart politics: Massive opinion poll lead plus small majority equals early election”

- Robert Hutton, with Alex Morales and Thomas Penny

Nine months after becoming prime minister, Theresa May is learning how to gamble. Long branded a risk-averse micro manager, May is essentially betting on herself and hoping that her strength in popular opinion polls will give her a crushing election victory in June. That would win her the freedom to negotiate the kind of Brexit deal she wants and help her avoid the European curse that has destroyed many former Conservative leaders.

If all goes according to May’s plan, the snap election she’s called for June 8, three years ahead of schedule, will tighten her grip on power with a broader parliamentary majority.

Instead of being a prime minister who took office by default, as she did last summer after David Cameron stepped down following the referendum to exit the European Union, May would have her own electoral mandate that could allow her to push a Brexit deal through parliament and neutralize opposition in the House of Commons.

On April 19 lawmakers overwhelmingly backed her plan, voting 522 to 13 to hold the election, triggering a seven week campaign that will focus on Britain’s ties to Europe. If she hadn’t called for the election, May risked reaching the end of Brexit’s specified negotiating period in March 2019 without a true mandate from voters or any wiggle room if she and her EU counterparts wanted to extend discussions or make transitional arrangements, something financial services companies in particular want to see as they look to relocate.