May calls for snap UK election
The UK’s Prime Minister Theresa May has announced plans to seek a snap general election on 8 June. The Prime Minister said that she has called for the general election to provide more certainty and stability in the wake of the Brexit referendum.
The House of Commons will vote on the proposal tomorrow (Wednesday, 19 April).
“We need a general election and we need one now. We have at this moment a one off chance to get this done,” said May.
“I have only recently and reluctantly come to this conclusion. Since I became prime minister I’ve said there should be no election until 2020, but now I have concluded that the only way to guarantee certainty and security for the years ahead is to hold this election and seek your support for the decisions we must take.”
A summer election victory would give May’s government more authority in the upcoming Brexit negotiations. The nature of the UK’s break from the European Union will, of course, have significant implications for the cross-border European post and parcel industry.
The leadership teams of both the main UK political parties – the governing Conservatives and the opposition Labour – have indicated that they will continue down the Brexit path, but a Labour administration would favour a “softer” Brexit approach. The UK Independence Party is strongly pro-Brexit, whilst the Liberal Democrats would welcome a return to the EU fold.
The UK’s post and parcel industry has been mulling over the significance of the election call – and there is a general feel that it will at least help to clear the air and provide some direction. For example, ParcelHero’s Head of Consumer Research, David Jinks, commented: “We welcome the announcement of a General Election for June 8th; as uncertainty is the most difficult problem facing UK exporters. Whatever the result, we are likely to get a clearer idea of how Brexit will develop; and that’s better for British business.
“If the Conservatives bold call succeeds, it will strengthen their hands in the forthcoming negotiations. It is encouraging for EU trade talks that Theresa May emphasised our “deep and special partnership” with the EU. Additionally, we welcome her statement that the UK would be ‘free to strike trade deals with old friends and new partners all around the world’.”
