May calls snap election for June 8
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- Published: Wednesday, 19 April 2017 07:43
- Written by News Editor
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In a surprise move prime minister Theresa May announced that she would ask the House of Commons for the right to hold a general election on June 8. The current Parliamentary session will end on May 3 and although ministers keep their jobs until after the election, they cannot make any announcements during the campaign.
Under the 2011 Fixed Term Parliaments Act, a general election is supposed to take place every five years on the first Thursday in May. As the most recent general election was in 2015, the next one was scheduled for May 2020. But an election can be called ahead of schedule for two reasons - if there is a vote of no confidence in the current government or, as in this case, if MPs vote for an early election by a two thirds majority.
The remainder of the Parliamentary session will be taken up with dealing with Bills currently under discussion and votes taken on necessary orders as so on. After Parliament has risen, members cease to be MPs and become Prospective Parliamentary Candidates (if they are standing again). The parties will then publish their manifestos and open their campaigns.
In the week after the election Parliament will start its first sitting with the election of the Speaker and swearing in of MPs new and old. This will be followed by the State Opening of Parliament, when the Queen outlines the Government’s programme for the coming session.
Ministers and civil servants (including those working for NHS England) now enter a period of so-called ‘purdah’, during which time Ministers cannot make speeches at meetings such as the BDA Conference in May and any civil servant has to speak in general terms rather than outlining specific policies. It is most likely that the expected interim report on the prototypes will not be released until after the election. Incidentally polling day is the first day of the LDC Conference.
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