Prime Minister Theresa May has called for an early general election.

The Prime Minister made the surprise announcement outside Downing Street on Tuesday morning.

She will tomorrow move a motion to call an election, requiring a two thirds majority vote in the Commons under the Fixed Term Parliament Act.

If backed, the general election will take place on Thursday June 8. The results would be announced the following day.

Why has Theresa May called a snap general election?

The PM said she called the snap general election as Britain needs ‘certainty, stability and strong leadership’ during Brexit.

She said: “I have just chaired a meeting of the Cabinet, where we agreed that the Government should call a general election, to be held on June 8.

“Since I became Prime Minister I have said that there should be no election until 2020. But now I have concluded that the only way to guarantee certainty and stability for the years ahead is to hold this election and seek your support for the decisions I must take.”

What does Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn say about it?

He has tweeted: “I welcome the Prime Minister’s decision to give the British people the chance to vote for a government that will put the interests of the majority first.

“Labour will be offering the country an effective alternative to a government that has failed to rebuild the economy, delivered falling living standards and damaging cuts to our schools and NHS.”

What could happen locally

The four current Kirklees MPs – the Conservative Jason McCartney and Labour’s Barry Sheerman, Paula Sherriff and Tracy Brabin would all likely re-stand for their seats. Opposition parties may ask previous candidates to return.

At the 2015 general election the Colne Valley seat was seen as marginal. Jason McCartney increased the Conservative’s share of the vote by 7.5% with 25,246 votes – 5,378 ahead of Labour’s Jane East on 19,868.

In Huddersfield Barry Sheerman retained the safe Labour seat, increasing the party’s share of the vote by 6.1% with 18,186 votes against the Conservatives Itrat Ali with 10,841 total votes taken.

In Dewsbury Paula Sherriff won the seat for Labour from the Conservative’s Simon Reevell. She increased Labour’s share of the vote by 9.6% with 22,406 votes (41.8% share) against Mr Reevell’s 20,955 (39.1%).

After the tragic murder of Jo Cox, the current incumbent of the Batley and Spen seat, Tracy Brabin, won in a by-election with 17,507 votes. None of the major parties stood against her.

In 2015 Mrs Cox won with 21,826 against her nearest rival the Conservatives Imtiaz Ameen on 15,769. Mrs Cox’s share of the vote was up 1.7%.