:00:07. > :00:09.I have just chaired a meeting of the Cabinet where we agreed
:00:10. > :00:12.that the Government should call a General Election to
:00:13. > :00:21.The surprise decision - to go the polls in seven weeks' time -
:00:22. > :00:23.was apparently made over the Easter weekend -
:00:24. > :00:30.and the Prime Minister claims it's all about unity and stability.
:00:31. > :00:34.At this moment of enormous national significance there should be unity
:00:35. > :00:38.here in Westminster but instead there is division.
:00:39. > :00:44.The country is coming together but Westminster is not.
:00:45. > :00:46.The announcement stunned Westminster but the opposition parties say
:00:47. > :00:50.they now welcome the chance to appeal to voters.
:00:51. > :00:55.We're going out there to put the case for how this
:00:56. > :00:58.country could be run, how it could be different,
:00:59. > :01:01.how we could have a much fairer society that works for all.
:01:02. > :01:10.We have the opportunity to give the British people the chance
:01:11. > :01:12.to change the direction of our country, to be
:01:13. > :01:18.opposed to a hard Brexit, keep us in the single market
:01:19. > :01:20.and give Britain the strong opposition it needs.
:01:21. > :01:22.We'll have the details and the reaction to today's
:01:23. > :01:24.announcement from Westminster and around the United Kingdom.
:01:25. > :01:27.In Scotland, the First Minister says the vote can strengthen the demands
:01:28. > :01:28.for a second independence referendum.
:01:29. > :01:32.It is very clear the Prime Minister's announcement today is one
:01:33. > :01:35.all about the narrow interests of her own party, not the interests
:01:36. > :01:44.This will be the third UK-wide vote in the space of two years,
:01:45. > :01:49.we'll be asking voters how keen they are.
:01:50. > :01:51.Not another one? Oh, for God's sake.
:01:52. > :01:56.There's too much politics going on at the moment.
:01:57. > :02:07.On the ground with Iraqi troops in Mosul, in a now painstaking
:02:08. > :02:15.battle to retake the city from so-called Islamic State.
:02:16. > :02:18.This battle has been raging for more than two hours and it's over a
:02:19. > :02:25.matter of streets they're fighting. Prince William follows his brother
:02:26. > :02:29.Prince Harry in speaking of his mother's death
:02:30. > :02:31.and the impact it's had. And, Leicester give Atletico Madrid
:02:32. > :02:41.a scare but it wasn't We will look at how tomorrow
:02:42. > :02:49.morning's front pages are covering the call for a snap election. We
:02:50. > :02:52.will be joined by Joe Watts of The Evening Standard and the
:02:53. > :03:02.Conservative commentator Laura Perrins.
:03:03. > :03:07.Good evening from Downing Street where the Prime Minister took
:03:08. > :03:10.everyone by surprise earlier today and announced her plan to call
:03:11. > :03:12.a general election on 8th June, that's three years earlier
:03:13. > :03:20.Theresa May said it was all about gaining unity and stability
:03:21. > :03:24.But her opponents accused the Prime Minister of breaking her
:03:25. > :03:29.word and of pursuing a cynical plan for party political advantage.
:03:30. > :03:32.The timetable for the coming weeks looks like this.
:03:33. > :03:34.In today's announcement, Mrs May said the Government
:03:35. > :03:44.would present a motion in parliament tomorrow asking MPs
:03:45. > :03:51.to agree to the request for a general election.
:03:52. > :03:53.This vote is needed under the Fixed Term Parliaments Act
:03:54. > :03:56.because the next election wasn't due to take place until 2020.
:03:57. > :03:58.Opposition parties say they will agree to the request,
:03:59. > :04:01.Parliament would probably be dissolved on May 3rd,
:04:02. > :04:06.Polling day across the UK will be on Thursday June 8th.
:04:07. > :04:09.We'll have all the details and reaction to the Prime
:04:10. > :04:13.Minister's surprise announcement and we start
:04:14. > :04:15.with our political editor, Laura Kuenssberg.
:04:16. > :04:24.Did Theresa May even surprise herself?
:04:25. > :04:27.Her biggest decision as Prime Minister,
:04:28. > :04:33.I have just chaired a meeting of the Cabinet where we agreed
:04:34. > :04:36.that the Government should call a General Election to be
:04:37. > :04:47.But she says to get Brexit done, she needs more support around here.
:04:48. > :04:49.In recent weeks, Labour have threatened to vote
:04:50. > :04:52.against the final agreement we reach with the European Union.
:04:53. > :04:57.The Liberal Democrats have said they want to grind the business
:04:58. > :05:03.The Scottish National Party say they will vote against
:05:04. > :05:05.the legislation that formally repeals Britain's membership
:05:06. > :05:12.And unelected members of the House of Lords have vowed to fight us
:05:13. > :05:19.Our opponents believe because the Government's majority
:05:20. > :05:22.is so small that our resolve will weaken and they can force
:05:23. > :05:29.So tomorrow there will be a vote in Parliament that
:05:30. > :05:34.will all but certainly get the process going.
:05:35. > :05:37.And if you are in any doubt about how the Tories
:05:38. > :05:43.I have only recently and reluctantly come to this conclusion.
:05:44. > :05:46.Since I became Prime Minister, I have said that there should be no
:05:47. > :05:52.But now I have concluded that the only way to guarantee
:05:53. > :05:56.certainty and stability for the years ahead is to hold this
:05:57. > :06:00.election and seek your support for the decisions I must take.
:06:01. > :06:04.Every vote for the Conservatives will make me stronger
:06:05. > :06:06.when I negotiate for Britain with the Prime Ministers,
:06:07. > :06:09.Chancellors and Presidents of the European Union.
:06:10. > :06:14.Every vote for the Conservatives will mean we can stick to our plan
:06:15. > :06:21.for a stronger Britain and take the right long-term decisions
:06:22. > :06:24.Most of her ministers had been in the dark.
:06:25. > :06:27.Only in the last few days did she decide.
:06:28. > :06:29.Theresa May only moved in here 279 days ago.
:06:30. > :06:32.And she said consistently that there should be no
:06:33. > :06:37.Quite simply, she has changed her mind.
:06:38. > :06:40.What happens next for Theresa May will be up to you.
:06:41. > :06:42.When did you know there was going to be an election?
:06:43. > :06:45.When did you know, Secretary of State?
:06:46. > :06:48.A bit reluctant to tell us when you knew about the election?
:06:49. > :06:50.When did she change her mind, Chief Whip?
:06:51. > :06:52.When did the Prime Minister change her mind?
:06:53. > :06:56.When did you know there was going to be an election?
:06:57. > :07:02.You could forgive their surprise perhaps because they'd
:07:03. > :07:05.I don't think there is a need for an election.
:07:06. > :07:07.I think the next election will be in 2020.
:07:08. > :07:11.Labour will support tomorrow's vote to push the button,
:07:12. > :07:14.even though the weakness of Jeremy Corbyn is one
:07:15. > :07:17.of the reasons why an early election is on.
:07:18. > :07:21.Yet his supporters hope that his ideas will cut through.
:07:22. > :07:24.I welcome the opportunity for us to put the case
:07:25. > :07:27.to the people of Britain, to stand up against this government
:07:28. > :07:30.and its failed economic agenda, which has left our NHS
:07:31. > :07:33.with problems, which has left our schools underfunded,
:07:34. > :07:38.We want to put our case out there for the people of Britain,
:07:39. > :07:41.of a society that cares for all, an economy that works for all
:07:42. > :07:52.More than ever, perhaps, this election will not just
:07:53. > :07:54.be about what happens here but the whole
:07:55. > :07:57.The Tories won't promise another vote on independence in Scotland,
:07:58. > :08:00.This is the biggest U-turn in recent political history.
:08:01. > :08:03.But it is very clear that the Prime Minister's
:08:04. > :08:06.announcement today is one all about the narrow interests
:08:07. > :08:10.of her own party, not the interests of the country overall.
:08:11. > :08:15.On the road already, as planned, for the local elections,
:08:16. > :08:19.the Lib Dems see opportunity to come back from rock bottom.
:08:20. > :08:22.It is an opportunity for the people of this country to change
:08:23. > :08:25.the direction of this country, to decide that they do not want
:08:26. > :08:29.a hard Brexit, they want to keep Britain in the single market,
:08:30. > :08:32.and indeed it is an opportunity for us to have a decent,
:08:33. > :08:36.strong opposition in this country that we desperately need.
:08:37. > :08:38.And though the Tories start this election having gone back
:08:39. > :08:44.Many people in the country will think, "Theresa May told me
:08:45. > :08:47.she would not do this and now she is doing this can I trust her?"
:08:48. > :08:50.When the facts change, you change your mind.
:08:51. > :08:53.As she said herself, she was reluctant to make this
:08:54. > :08:57.decision, but she was brought to this decision by the fact that
:08:58. > :09:02.presenting herself with a mandate that allows us to get the best
:09:03. > :09:07.outcome for Brexit and the best outcome for Britain in her policy,
:09:08. > :09:11.that is the thing that is in the national interest.
:09:12. > :09:14.It looks like this election is entirely about Brexit,
:09:15. > :09:17.that Theresa May is so worried about how hard it will be,
:09:18. > :09:20.she thinks she needs a thumping majority of Tory backbenchers
:09:21. > :09:27.Of course we want a strong mandate, but the aim here is to do two
:09:28. > :09:31.things, one is to provide a strong mandate for Brexit, and the other
:09:32. > :09:34.is to provide a strong mandate for the future.
:09:35. > :09:38.The country will be asked for its view again, less than a year
:09:39. > :09:40.since the referendum, when everything around here changed.
:09:41. > :09:44.I think she's been changing her mind over a little while.
:09:45. > :09:47.I think her instinct was not to do it for strong reasons,
:09:48. > :09:50.she didn't want the public to think it was political.
:09:51. > :09:52.I think the whole sense and the nature of Parliament has
:09:53. > :09:55.changed quite a lot in the last month or two.
:09:56. > :09:57.This is the ultimate test for us because that is
:09:58. > :10:01.We are in politics to win elections, to win power,
:10:02. > :10:05.to put our values into practice, and we've got to seize any
:10:06. > :10:10.How many more times are you going to change your mind, Prime Minister?
:10:11. > :10:15.Win well, and Theresa May escapes some political problems,
:10:16. > :10:18.but the hurly-burly of any campaign claims casualties, too.
:10:19. > :10:20.Just ask anyone who has ever lived at this address.
:10:21. > :10:26.Laura Kuenssberg, BBC News, Westminster.
:10:27. > :10:29.Jeremy Corbyn said he welcomed the decision to call an early
:10:30. > :10:32.election, saying Labour would stand up for the people of Britain,
:10:33. > :10:36.not least on the state of the National Health Service.
:10:37. > :10:38.The Liberal Democrats' Tim Farron promised to fight
:10:39. > :10:41.against what he called a hard Brexit, while the First Minister
:10:42. > :10:43.of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, said today's announcement was a huge
:10:44. > :10:48.political miscalculation by Theresa May.
:10:49. > :10:51.More on the impact in Scotland in a moment, but first our deputy
:10:52. > :10:53.political editor John Pienaar looks at reaction in Westminster
:10:54. > :11:00.Westminster's shutting up shop soon, again.
:11:01. > :11:07.The soundbites, the slogans, all desperate for your attention.
:11:08. > :11:18.So loyal Jeremy Corbyn supporters are working hard
:11:19. > :11:21.from the start to beat the odds, to point out the issues on policies
:11:22. > :11:25.they hope may somehow prove the polls and pundits wrong.
:11:26. > :11:31.I want to use the period until June 8th to set out a positive vision of
:11:32. > :11:36.the kind of society that we can live in. Post-Brexit vision of Britain
:11:37. > :11:41.where this country works for them, for everybody and for the equality
:11:42. > :11:46.of everybody in work. The foundation for all to build a fairer economy by
:11:47. > :11:48.investment in good jobs for the future and investment in good
:11:49. > :11:52.quality services for the future. The British public when it comes
:11:53. > :11:55.to General Elections vote on leadership and as of now
:11:56. > :11:58.Jeremy Corbyn is a mile behind. I think the more people focus
:11:59. > :12:01.on our programme and our leadership, the more tawdry what Theresa May's
:12:02. > :12:07.offering will seem. The British public don't want
:12:08. > :12:10.a Prime Minister hand The British public did not
:12:11. > :12:13.vote to be poorer in The more people focus
:12:14. > :12:20.on the issues and the people, Is he going to be any kind of asset
:12:21. > :12:28.to you in your campaign, No, I will be the candidate
:12:29. > :12:32.in Chester, and it will be my picture on the leaflet and my name
:12:33. > :12:35.on the ballot paper. I will be talking about my record
:12:36. > :12:38.and the things I have achieved. What about Jeremy Corbyn, is he
:12:39. > :12:41.an asset or a liability, in a word? Well, he attracts some people's
:12:42. > :12:48.favourable attention. Good times for the Lib Dems
:12:49. > :12:51.seem a long time ago. In the last election,
:12:52. > :12:53.big hitters, Cabinet ministers, Now they are the most
:12:54. > :12:58.pro-Europe party in politics, and survivors of that famous rout
:12:59. > :13:01.believe they can turn scepticism If you look at the British political
:13:02. > :13:12.spectrum, there is quite a large centre ground,
:13:13. > :13:14.which certainly Jeremy Corbyn, as And which Theresa May,
:13:15. > :13:27.by pursuing hard Brexit, also does not seem to want to occupy
:13:28. > :13:30.either that is there You are hoping this
:13:31. > :13:33.might be the beginning Let's put it no more highly
:13:34. > :13:38.than that, but I would be very happy with the beginning of the beginning
:13:39. > :13:41.of a comeback. The Tories sound confident,
:13:42. > :13:43.but some in former Lib Dem strongholds in London
:13:44. > :13:45.and the South West expect a tough fight and just hope
:13:46. > :13:48.that the Lib Dems aren't ready I don't think the Liberal Democrats
:13:49. > :13:51.have restored their infrastructure But you know you will have
:13:52. > :13:56.a fight on your hands? Of course we're going
:13:57. > :13:58.to have a fight on our hands and we're always going to fight
:13:59. > :14:01.to win, as well. Since Nigel Farage left
:14:02. > :14:04.to seek his own political fortunes, backing Donald Trump,
:14:05. > :14:06.not leading Ukip after the EU referendum,
:14:07. > :14:08.the party has lost ground. They have lost the odd election
:14:09. > :14:13.they might have won. The referendum has gone,
:14:14. > :14:15.and so has Nigel Farage. Come on, John, I don't
:14:16. > :14:19.buy that at all. Theresa May may well have
:14:20. > :14:21.triggered Article 50, but the negotiations have
:14:22. > :14:23.not started yet. If people want the Brexit
:14:24. > :14:26.that they voted for on June 23rd, they'll only get that,
:14:27. > :14:28.I believe, if you get Ukip MPs elected to the House of Commons,
:14:29. > :14:32.and that is why we'll go into this And the Greens too are
:14:33. > :14:35.sticking to their mission. You look optimistic,
:14:36. > :14:37.but you're going to need to be. We are optimistic,
:14:38. > :14:39.because we are the party opposing extreme Brexit,
:14:40. > :14:42.opposing the decimation of public services and providing those
:14:43. > :14:53.important environmental protections. All the parties must now scramble to
:14:54. > :14:59.get candidates, raise cash, to get out a manifesto that will give the
:15:00. > :15:03.country a choice for five years. One burden Theresa May is avoiding is TV
:15:04. > :15:07.debates. Labour's agreed that all MPs will be entitled to stand as
:15:08. > :15:11.candidates, though Team Corbyn was keen some would have to prove their
:15:12. > :15:15.loyalty first and that a private meeting of Labour MPs tonight
:15:16. > :15:16.everyone agreed they would fight hard and privately they all
:15:17. > :15:32.understand they're going to have to. Our political editor,
:15:33. > :15:39.Laura Kuenssberg, is with me. The Prime Minister has been clear,
:15:40. > :15:43.no early election. She said it many times. What has changed? You are
:15:44. > :15:46.right. There have been good arguments for going to the country
:15:47. > :15:50.for many months. Why wouldn't they want to exploit the current weakness
:15:51. > :15:53.in the Labour Party. Why wouldn't she want her own individual mandate
:15:54. > :15:57.when she moved in and set her own priorities to free herself once and
:15:58. > :16:02.for all from the Tory manifesto of 2015? I'm told that in recent days
:16:03. > :16:05.what has changed her mind is one argument in particular about the
:16:06. > :16:09.timetabling of the UK general election and the timetable of
:16:10. > :16:14.Brexit. I'm told she has found the case more and more compelling to get
:16:15. > :16:21.the election out of the way to avoid a very difficult situation when, in
:16:22. > :16:25.2019, just as the EU negotiations are at their crescendo, Number Ten
:16:26. > :16:29.would be would be politically run rake they would be starting to think
:16:30. > :16:32.about an election. They believe in that sense EU leaders might have
:16:33. > :16:38.pushed them around because they would know at that point they would
:16:39. > :16:44.be afraid of doing anything politically important. That isn't
:16:45. > :16:48.new, that has been made privately for months. It's that argument the
:16:49. > :16:52.Prime Minister found more compelling and in and amongst a whole mixture
:16:53. > :16:57.of reasons that tipped the balance in a matter of the last few days.
:16:58. > :17:01.Let us talk about risk. Risk for all parties who engage in elections. The
:17:02. > :17:06.risk especially for Theresa May? It is risky. If you believe the polls,
:17:07. > :17:09.they suggest, which of course is the calculation that she has made, she
:17:10. > :17:14.is on course to increase her majority. She would be on course for
:17:15. > :17:18.a hefty majority. Something bigger than the wafer thin insecurity she
:17:19. > :17:23.faces right now. As we know, as xaens of the last couple of years
:17:24. > :17:27.have tested to destruction, campaigns take on lives of their
:17:28. > :17:31.own. If we think about Jeremy Corbyn when he stood as Labour leader.
:17:32. > :17:35.Nobody thought he had a chance apart from trusty volunteers in his
:17:36. > :17:38.campaign at the start of the referendum campaign not so long ago.
:17:39. > :17:42.Few people believed that was winnable from the leave side. The
:17:43. > :17:49.early reasons that Theresa May had not to go to the country, one of
:17:50. > :17:51.them was that the campaign could be very unpredictable any election
:17:52. > :17:56.campaign is unpredictable. No question about that. We will pick up
:17:57. > :18:01.on those themes later. Thank you very much. Laura Kuenssberg for us.
:18:02. > :18:04.So, in just over seven weeks' time, voters across the United Kingdom
:18:05. > :18:07.will be asked to go to the polls yet again.
:18:08. > :18:10.It will be the second general election in the space of two years
:18:11. > :18:12.and that's on top of two referendums, one on Scottish
:18:13. > :18:14.independnece, one on EU membership since 2014.
:18:15. > :18:17.So how do voters feel about another major poll and the weeks
:18:18. > :18:20.Our home editor, Mark Easton, has been to Leeds to
:18:21. > :18:28.Is this election about health and welfare, jobs and housing?
:18:29. > :18:34.I'm in the city of Leeds, torn down the middle by Brexit
:18:35. > :18:49.But more specifically, I'm in Morley and Outwood,
:18:50. > :18:52.a constituency equally split down the middle between Labour
:18:53. > :18:55.Former Shadow Chancellor, Ed Balls, found a new career on the dance
:18:56. > :18:57.floor after this traditionally Labour stronghold was sensationally
:18:58. > :19:00.lost to the Tories, with a wafer thin 422 vote majority.
:19:01. > :19:02.So are people excited about another chance to get voting?
:19:03. > :19:04.Have you heard they've called an election?
:19:05. > :19:06.Yes, and I don't think they should have done.
:19:07. > :19:08.Unfortunately, that's the way the Prime Minister wants it,
:19:09. > :19:13.Do you think she's right to call one?
:19:14. > :19:15.Why not, give everybody a chance to speak.
:19:16. > :19:24.It lets the people vote for someone, instead of Theresa May
:19:25. > :19:26.getting forced upon us, kind of thing.
:19:27. > :19:28.I know I'm going to put my vote to use.
:19:29. > :19:36.Because the leader of Labour, I hope, doesn't win,
:19:37. > :19:40.we might get a new leader for the Labour Party.
:19:41. > :19:48.Because people up north voted to come out and the truth
:19:49. > :19:53.Things are going up in the shop, aren't they?
:19:54. > :19:59.People view things different when prices are going up.
:20:00. > :20:02.She seems to have a huge lead in the opinion polls.
:20:03. > :20:13.They'll say I'm Elizabeth Taylor if you ask folks.
:20:14. > :20:16.In Leed's financial district, the largest in the UK outside
:20:17. > :20:18.London, attitudes to the snap election are different,
:20:19. > :20:20.with some thinking the poll might fire the starting gun
:20:21. > :20:24.The whole left-right system is quite old fashioned.
:20:25. > :20:29.Maybe we need to shake up politics a bit, reconfigure the way the party
:20:30. > :20:31.system works and maybe people can align themselves more with parties.
:20:32. > :20:37.Do you think it's right that she should get this mandate,
:20:38. > :20:40.because, of course, she became Prime Minister without an election,
:20:41. > :20:49.I think she needs to get out there and actually be
:20:50. > :20:53.I think that gives her a lot more, you know, credibility really.
:20:54. > :20:56.And perhaps clout in the negotiations too, do you think?
:20:57. > :21:00.You can't see why - it's not going to harm her at all, is it?
:21:01. > :21:03.Many people are trying to work out what they think this
:21:04. > :21:05.snap election means - for politics, for Brexit
:21:06. > :21:10.In Scotland, the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, says the early
:21:11. > :21:11.election can reinforce the Scottish Parliament's
:21:12. > :21:20.call for a second independence referendum.
:21:21. > :21:26.Ms Sturgeon accused Theresa May of pursuing a "narrow,
:21:27. > :21:28.divisive, right-wing agenda" and said the voters of Scotland
:21:29. > :21:30.had an opportunity to make their voice heard.
:21:31. > :21:32.Our Scotland editor, Sarah Smith, reports on the reaction
:21:33. > :21:36.As voters across Scotland are asked to decide who they want to represent
:21:37. > :21:38.them in Westminster, the argument will be
:21:39. > :21:40.dominated by the question of whether Westminster should
:21:41. > :21:46.The issue of independence, and whether Scotland should have
:21:47. > :21:49.another vote on that, will be central to this election.
:21:50. > :21:53.Nicola Sturgeon says she's ready for the fight.
:21:54. > :21:56.I think the Prime Minister has called this election for selfish,
:21:57. > :21:58.narrow, party political interests, but she has called it and,
:21:59. > :22:00.therefore, I relish the prospect of getting out there,
:22:01. > :22:03.standing up for Scotland's interests and values,
:22:04. > :22:06.standing up for Scotland's voice being heard and standing
:22:07. > :22:09.against the ability of a right-wing Conservative Party to impose
:22:10. > :22:14.whatever policies it wants in Scotland.
:22:15. > :22:19.The SNP believe this could be a great opportunity.
:22:20. > :22:21.If they turn in a strong performance at this election,
:22:22. > :22:23.it could bolster their arguments for another referendum
:22:24. > :22:31.The only problem is, they did so well in the 2015 election -
:22:32. > :22:34.winning 56 out of Scotland's 59 seats - it's hard to see how
:22:35. > :22:39.And if they lose some seats, well, of course, their opponents
:22:40. > :22:42.will claim that shows Scottish voters don't want an
:22:43. > :22:47.Many voters who do not want an independent Scotland
:22:48. > :22:49.or another referendum, now see the Tories as the staunch
:22:50. > :22:52.defenders of the Union, which they hope could attract more
:22:53. > :22:58.I don't take any voters for granted, and nor should any other party,
:22:59. > :23:01.but we're fit for this fight, we're ready to go, we think we can
:23:02. > :23:04.put on seats across the country and I think you'll find that "peak
:23:05. > :23:08.Nat" has passed and there will be fewer SNP MPs after 8th June.
:23:09. > :23:10.That's certainly what I'll be working towards.
:23:11. > :23:12.The Scottish Labour leader was launching her local election
:23:13. > :23:14.campaign when the news came through from Westminster
:23:15. > :23:19.There's been a slight adjustment to today's order!
:23:20. > :23:21.Scottish Labour often struggle to make their arguments heard
:23:22. > :23:26.when the debate is dominated by the question of independence.
:23:27. > :23:29.This is a chance for everyone across the United Kingdom
:23:30. > :23:32.to have their say about the type of government that they want.
:23:33. > :23:35.What you're going to see is a Labour campaign focused on Labour values,
:23:36. > :23:38.I think that's something worth fighting for.
:23:39. > :23:40.The Scottish Lib Dems will also be arguing against another
:23:41. > :23:48.We want to keep Scotland in the United Kingdom and we want
:23:49. > :23:51.to keep the United Kingdom at the heart of Europe,
:23:52. > :23:53.That's the opportunity in this campaign.
:23:54. > :23:56.There is a certain irony here, which will not be lost
:23:57. > :24:03.They were told, by Theresa May - now is not the time for a referendum
:24:04. > :24:06.on independence because politicians should be concentrating on Brexit.
:24:07. > :24:09.Well, wow she's called an election that will be, in Scotland,
:24:10. > :24:24.We're also going to be assessing the impact of today's news
:24:25. > :24:28.in Northern Ireland and Wales, but we start in Scotland.
:24:29. > :24:33.Sarah, when Nicola Sturgeon says in her view this is a mainlying o
:24:34. > :24:39.miscalculation by Theresa May, what is her thinking there? Well, Nicola
:24:40. > :24:42.Sturgeon thinks that this decision could backfire on the Prime Minister
:24:43. > :24:45.in Scotland because she really believes the SNP are in a position
:24:46. > :24:50.to do well in this election and that if they do, then that will make it
:24:51. > :24:54.much Hardinger for a Westminster Government toll refuse to allow a
:24:55. > :24:57.referendum on Scottish independence. Privately though, the SNP will admit
:24:58. > :25:01.it will be incredibly difficult for them to repeat the astonishing
:25:02. > :25:06.success they had in 2015. You could have a situation where the SNP win
:25:07. > :25:09.most of the seats in Scotland, but it still looks like their support is
:25:10. > :25:13.slipping. The Tories are convinced they can make significant gains in
:25:14. > :25:19.Scotland now that they have successfully positioned themselves
:25:20. > :25:24.as the party most dedicated to keeping the UK united. The
:25:25. > :25:27.Conservatives could put it in their manifesto their opposition to
:25:28. > :25:29.another referendum on Scottish independence. If they won the
:25:30. > :25:33.general election across the UK they could say they have an electoral
:25:34. > :25:36.mandate to stop an independence referendum. Although this election
:25:37. > :25:41.here in Scotland will be dominated by that question, it may not resolve
:25:42. > :25:44.the matter of Scottish independence. There are many here in Northern
:25:45. > :25:47.Ireland who feels this vote could add to a sense of political
:25:48. > :25:50.instability. Remember people here have been to the polls twice in the
:25:51. > :25:55.last 12 months. Both for Assembly elections and the last one was
:25:56. > :25:58.itself a snap election. After the complete collapse of power-sharing
:25:59. > :26:02.at Stormont. That is a crisis hasn't gone away. The parties at Stormont
:26:03. > :26:06.have failed to come up with a deal toll restore the Government there.
:26:07. > :26:09.That's despite two deadlines and the reality is, calling this vote is
:26:10. > :26:14.only going to lead it to be more difficult. Those negotiations really
:26:15. > :26:19.have little chance of success now. That's because election campaigns
:26:20. > :26:24.here tend to be bitter and divisive. Some political commentators called
:26:25. > :26:30.the last one nakedly sectarian. There is no suggestion this one will
:26:31. > :26:36.be different. Unionists are calling it an opportunity to show support
:26:37. > :26:40.for the UK. The Republicans are raising the dangers of Brexit and
:26:41. > :26:55.pushing for a referendum on a united Ireland. With the Westminster can
:26:56. > :27:00.take over the running of the Government here or call another
:27:01. > :27:03.Assembly election alongside this general general election. In Wales
:27:04. > :27:07.it's more straight-forward than in Northern Ireland. There will be
:27:08. > :27:12.intensity nevertheless. Enthusiasm today from the Conservatives, but
:27:13. > :27:17.also the leader of Plaid Cymru, she said it was game on. The leader of
:27:18. > :27:21.Welsh Labour, the First Minister in Cardiff, Carwyn Jones, questioned
:27:22. > :27:25.the timing and questioned whether it was in the national interest. He 7
:27:26. > :27:29.will be acutely aware of the potential vulnerability of a number
:27:30. > :27:35.of Labour constituencies in a general election. Two years ago, the
:27:36. > :27:39.Conservatives put Labour under considerable pressure in parts of
:27:40. > :27:45.Wales. The Tory calculation will be that Wales voted to leave and, as
:27:46. > :27:48.such, because of that, there will be large numbers of people in Wales
:27:49. > :27:52.prepared to give Theresa May a mandate to do exactly that. One
:27:53. > :27:56.final thought, the EU referendum campaign in Wales was hugely
:27:57. > :28:00.divisive and bruising. I think the question tonight is whether the
:28:01. > :28:05.debate has moved on or whether it will be a re-run of that referendum
:28:06. > :28:12.campaign and the old wounds are reopened. Nick, many thanks.
:28:13. > :28:18.In the weeks ahead, much of the intense campaigning
:28:19. > :28:20.will focus on dozens of key battleground seats, especially
:28:21. > :28:23.in the Midlands and the north of England, where the Conservatives
:28:24. > :28:26.will be looking to boost the modest Commons majority they won last time,
:28:27. > :28:30.and Labour say they'll be hoping to win more support
:28:31. > :28:33.by campaigning on issues such as health and education.
:28:34. > :28:35.Our political correspondent, Vicky Young, takes a look at some
:28:36. > :28:38.of the constituencies likely to be part of the key battleground
:28:39. > :28:45.Theresa May says she wants certainty and stability for the UK
:28:46. > :28:50.and for her that means a decisive Conservative election victory.
:28:51. > :28:53.She's made the calculation that she can improve on her party's
:28:54. > :29:02.This is the electoral map showing the results
:29:03. > :29:05.Most striking are the swathes of blue across England and SNP
:29:06. > :29:18.The Lib Dems and DUP, eight seats each.
:29:19. > :29:21.With other parties factored in, it left the Tories with a very slim
:29:22. > :29:36.So where will the Tories try to boost their numbers?
:29:37. > :29:38.The North West and the Midlands are crucial battle grounds.
:29:39. > :29:40.Here, there are numerous marginal constituencies where very few votes
:29:41. > :29:44.At the last election, Labour made little headway here.
:29:45. > :29:47.In the West Midlands, high on the list for the Tories, will be
:29:48. > :29:49.places like Wolverhampton South West and Walsall North, both have
:29:50. > :29:53.But some argue that the current Tory lead in the polls might not be
:29:54. > :29:56.easily translated into seat gains from Labour.
:29:57. > :30:03.Once you start looking at the electoral geography
:30:04. > :30:07.of Labour's vote, it has a lot of very safe Labour seats,
:30:08. > :30:09.and therefore, getting a large majority can be quite difficult
:30:10. > :30:12.and certainly if the polls are perhaps exaggerating the Tories'
:30:13. > :30:15.lead a little bit or certainly if that lead comes down, to let's
:30:16. > :30:22.say seven, eight nine points, still quite substantial,
:30:23. > :30:24.that could still mean that Theresa May doesn't
:30:25. > :30:27.like as large a majority she might like.
:30:28. > :30:30.Labour desperately need a revival in Scotland if they're to form
:30:31. > :30:34.But the Tories and Lib Dems will also be hoping to prise some
:30:35. > :30:37.Fascinating too will be the south-west of England,
:30:38. > :30:40.They were wiped out here at the last election
:30:41. > :30:46.But how will their pro-EU message go down in a region
:30:47. > :30:52.It might be better received in some of the London suburbs which voted
:30:53. > :30:59.The Conservatives could have a real fight on their hands in former
:31:00. > :31:07.Lib Dem constituencies such as Kingston-upon-Thames
:31:08. > :31:10.and Twickenham where Sir Vince Cable says he'll stand again.
:31:11. > :31:14.But if you look at last year's referendum result, you can see why
:31:15. > :31:16.the Prime Minister wants to frame this as a Brexit election.
:31:17. > :31:20.But many of them have Labour MPs who backed Remain.
:31:21. > :31:22.She also wants to attract some of the four million voters
:31:23. > :31:26.General election campaigns can be unpredictable and just two
:31:27. > :31:28.years after the last one, voters must decide again
:31:29. > :31:30.whether there will be dramatic changes to the electoral
:31:31. > :31:41.Let's get some more reaction to today's news
:31:42. > :31:47.Our Europe editor, Katya Adler, is in Paris tonight,
:31:48. > :31:49.but first let's speak to our business editor, Simon Jack,
:31:50. > :32:02.What is your reading of the way that the markets reacted to the news
:32:03. > :32:06.today? Well, this may be a political gamble but the folks who make bets
:32:07. > :32:15.in the offices behind me like Theresa May's odds in this one. You
:32:16. > :32:18.saw the pound strengthen, they think the economy is doing well,
:32:19. > :32:21.unemployment rate is low and average earnings are going up a bit more
:32:22. > :32:24.than the cost of living and crucial to understanding the timing of this,
:32:25. > :32:28.that is not expected to last for long, so get this done before
:32:29. > :32:31.inflation, widely expected to rise, starts eating into people's
:32:32. > :32:36.earnings. So the markets think she will win. They think she will get a
:32:37. > :32:40.bigger majority, possibly less beholden to some of the hardline
:32:41. > :32:44.Eurosceptics in her own party and the markets think that will give her
:32:45. > :32:48.a stronger and a freer hand in the negotiations to come, so the pound
:32:49. > :32:53.has rallied. What is good for the pound is not so good for the stock
:32:54. > :32:57.market, lots of companies here make earnings overseas, as the pound
:32:58. > :33:00.strengthens, those profits are worth less in sterling terms. The stock
:33:01. > :33:03.market had one of its worst days in months. The pound is the one to
:33:04. > :33:10.watch, at the moment the markets like her chances.
:33:11. > :33:15.Thank you very much. Let's go live to Paris.
:33:16. > :33:21.What did you make of the kind of reaction we have seen today from EU
:33:22. > :33:24.leaders? Well, officially in Brussels a country's election is
:33:25. > :33:29.very much seen as a domestic affair and brows sells likes to stay
:33:30. > :33:31.neutral but with Brexit being such an all-consuming issue such
:33:32. > :33:38.officials could barely contain themselves. We had the President of
:33:39. > :33:46.the European Council, Donald Tus k k who tweeted it was like a Hitchcock
:33:47. > :33:51.film, first the earthquake and the tensions rises. . There is a strong
:33:52. > :33:55.sense of optimism. Theresa May has called this election hoping to
:33:56. > :33:59.strengthen her hand in Brexit ns but officials believe that a strong win
:34:00. > :34:03.for Theresa May would help the EU too. They believe that they want to
:34:04. > :34:08.have a strong Prime Minister opposite them at the negotiating
:34:09. > :34:12.table, not one they perceive as weak, hostage to interested parties
:34:13. > :34:17.and likely to do u-turns in the negotiation. Officials in Brussels
:34:18. > :34:23.and Berlin and here in Paris want Theresa May to do well. And if those
:34:24. > :34:28.negotiations following the elections do well, I have been told by high
:34:29. > :34:31.level sources tonight, then the EU would be open to starting those
:34:32. > :34:36.trade deals, the trade talks about a future relationship between the UK
:34:37. > :34:40.and the EU far earlier than had been imagined. But remember, that when
:34:41. > :34:44.the EU talks about good progress in Brexit and I heard from a top level
:34:45. > :34:48.source tonight he believes the chances for a good deal for both
:34:49. > :34:53.sides now are far improved, but they talk about good progress from the
:34:54. > :34:58.EU's point of view. Thank you very much.
:34:59. > :35:01.We'll have more from Downing Street later in the programme,
:35:02. > :35:04.and we'll be looking at previous instances of British voters
:35:05. > :35:09.going to the polls several times in a relatively short period.
:35:10. > :35:12.But first, let's have a look at the day's other news with Reeta.
:35:13. > :35:17.In Iraq, the ongoing battle for the second city of Mosul
:35:18. > :35:20.could result in the worst humanitarian catastrophe in the war
:35:21. > :35:25.against so-called Islamic State, according to the United Nations.
:35:26. > :35:27.The battle began six months ago and hundreds of thousands
:35:28. > :35:30.of civilians remain trapped inside parts of the city
:35:31. > :35:36.The militants are now surrounded, but the progress of the Iraqi forces
:35:37. > :35:38.has slowed significantly in recent weeks.
:35:39. > :35:41.Our correspondent, Jonathan Beale, and cameraman,
:35:42. > :35:45.Barnaby Mitchell, are embedded with Iraqi troops and they witnessed
:35:46. > :35:53.one of the street battles on the edge of the Old City.
:35:54. > :35:58.Even at night, you can clearly see the scars on the streets of this
:35:59. > :36:03.city and how brutal the battle for Mosul's become.
:36:04. > :36:15.We joined the Iraqi security forces about to mount yet another assault.
:36:16. > :36:18.These the same troops who've already been fighting here for months and,
:36:19. > :36:22.even under the cover of darkness, they know their enemy,
:36:23. > :36:26.so-called Islamic State, will be ready and waiting.
:36:27. > :36:33.As they move into position for what's supposed to be
:36:34. > :36:37.a surprise dawn attack, they're already coming under fire.
:36:38. > :36:55.The commander sets up his headquarters in an abandoned house,
:36:56. > :37:01.soon interrupted by a panic call on the radio - it's
:37:02. > :37:14.Dawn breaks and the Iraqi forces are still pinned down.
:37:15. > :37:18.This battle's been raging now for more than two hours
:37:19. > :37:24.and it is over a matter of streets they're fighting.
:37:25. > :37:33.And, as we hear, there is still fierce resistance from IS.
:37:34. > :37:35.That is a coalition air strike, it's the Iraqis one advantage
:37:36. > :37:45.But even air power can't always spot and silence IS snipers and nor
:37:46. > :37:48.do the rockets fired by Iraqi forces.
:37:49. > :37:55.Throughout the morning, the casualties mount.
:37:56. > :38:18.This one battle, for one street, was still raging when we left,
:38:19. > :38:22.five hours later, out of fear for our own safety.
:38:23. > :38:29.After six months, the Iraqi forces have only now reached
:38:30. > :38:33.the edge of the Old City, much of what you can see on the west
:38:34. > :38:36.side of the Tigris is still under IS control and there's every
:38:37. > :38:40.indication they'll be fighting and dying for every single street.
:38:41. > :38:48.Prince William has said the death of his mother, Princess Diana,
:38:49. > :38:50.was one of the reasons for his involvement in campaigning
:38:51. > :38:56.The Duke of Cambridge's comments today follow those
:38:57. > :38:58.of his brother Prince Harry, who revealed he'd had
:38:59. > :39:01.counselling to help him come to terms with her death.
:39:02. > :39:03.Both Princes have been campaigning for the Heads Together
:39:04. > :39:07.Our royal correspondent, Peter Hunt, reports.
:39:08. > :39:16.A transatlantic call that challenges preconceptions -
:39:17. > :39:19.the campaigning future King garnering the support of a global
:39:20. > :39:24.Lady Gaga has lived with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
:39:25. > :39:32.We have to make the strongest, most relentless attempt we can
:39:33. > :39:35.to normalise mental health issues so that people feel
:39:36. > :39:39.Thank you, Prince William, have a beautiful day.
:39:40. > :39:44.After his internet brush with stardom, Prince
:39:45. > :39:47.William's next stop - as he strives to smash a taboo -
:39:48. > :39:50.was the BBC for a screening of a documentary presented by Nick
:39:51. > :39:56.Ten people affected by mental health issues, united by one goal -
:39:57. > :40:04.I just feel like I'm not going to be able to do it.
:40:05. > :40:11.Kate, William and Harry want mental health treated like physical health.
:40:12. > :40:13.I really think this is a pivotal moment
:40:14. > :40:18.I really feel we are on the cusp of something really big and I know
:40:19. > :40:21.the BBC are keen to continue covering mental health and really
:40:22. > :40:26.As you can see, you know, I have my own reasons
:40:27. > :40:29.for being involved with mental health, what happened to me
:40:30. > :40:33.One of the mental health runners who met William is Rhian,
:40:34. > :40:37.her one-year-old son died five years ago.
:40:38. > :40:40.Her husband, who blamed himself, took his own life, five days later.
:40:41. > :40:42.She's now confronting and talking about her personal pain.
:40:43. > :40:46.The more people we can get to talk about mental health,
:40:47. > :40:49.the better because the silence is killing people and it really is,
:40:50. > :40:52.I think, yeah, I should stop talking now.
:40:53. > :41:01.Meeting the runners confronting their adversity and watching
:41:02. > :41:03.the programme left William, he said, feeling quite emotional.
:41:04. > :41:05.Their next challenge is the race in six days' time.
:41:06. > :41:15.A brief look at some of the day's other news stories:
:41:16. > :41:19.Police in the US say a gunman, suspected of shooting a man and then
:41:20. > :41:21.posting footage of the murder on Facebook, has committed suicide.
:41:22. > :41:23.Steve Stephens shot himself after being chased
:41:24. > :41:28.The founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, has said
:41:29. > :41:32.the company will do all it can to prevent similar postings.
:41:33. > :41:36.Police in France have arrested two Islamist militants suspected
:41:37. > :41:38.of planning an imminent attack days before the first round of
:41:39. > :41:41.Prosecutors said that guns and explosives were found
:41:42. > :41:50.in the apartment the suspects shared in Marseille.
:41:51. > :41:52.Over 8,000 migrants were rescued from the Mediterranean over
:41:53. > :41:54.the weekend, after attempting to cross from Libya to Italy
:41:55. > :41:57.in overcrowded boats, according to aid agencies.
:41:58. > :42:00.Fine weather reportedly sparked a spike in the number of people
:42:01. > :42:05.attempting the perilous crossing to Europe.
:42:06. > :42:08.Football, and Leicester City's Champions League dream finally came
:42:09. > :42:12.to an end tonight, after they drew at home with Atletico Madrid.
:42:13. > :42:17.Our sports editor, Dan Roan, was there.
:42:18. > :42:19.The latest chapter in sport's most remarkable fairy-tale.
:42:20. > :42:23.Winning the Premier League's one thing, reaching the last four
:42:24. > :42:26.of the Champions League would take Leicester City to a whole new level.
:42:27. > :42:29.But sporting miracle is what this club's defined by and now these
:42:30. > :42:32.players were intent on seizing a once in a lifetime opportunity.
:42:33. > :42:35.Leicester had returned from the first leg in Spain only
:42:36. > :42:37.a goal behind against one of the finest teams
:42:38. > :42:40.on the continent, but they knew they had to take their chances.
:42:41. > :42:48.And if that was costly, conceding could prove critical.
:42:49. > :42:51.Almost immediately, the hosts punished, Saul Niguez's pin-point
:42:52. > :42:53.header extending Atletico Madrid's lead, the crucial away goal leaving
:42:54. > :43:03.But stranger things have happened as this team has proved and,
:43:04. > :43:05.once again, they set about defying the odds.
:43:06. > :43:07.Substitute Ben Chilwell went close, before talisman, Jamie Vardy,
:43:08. > :43:12.With two more goals needed, suddenly Leicester were dominant,
:43:13. > :43:14.manager Craig Shakespeare urging his side on.
:43:15. > :43:16.The pressure intensified and the hosts never gave in,
:43:17. > :43:23.Having reached two of the last three Champions League finals,
:43:24. > :43:25.Atletico are now one step away again.
:43:26. > :43:28.Leicester's remarkable journey over, but it's one they can be
:43:29. > :43:34.proud of and which will never be forgotten.
:43:35. > :43:41.What's gone on here over the last two seasons defies belief. First
:43:42. > :43:44.that Premier League triumph and in this, the first time Leicester City
:43:45. > :43:47.have been in the Champions League, they've managed to go further than
:43:48. > :43:53.any other of the other British teams this season. The fairytale may
:43:54. > :43:55.finally be over, they now of course have to focus purely on Premier
:43:56. > :43:59.League football, but what they've managed to do is turn football's
:44:00. > :44:05.established order on its head and no one can ever take that away from
:44:06. > :44:07.them. Dan, thank you. Our sports editor there.
:44:08. > :44:10.With more now on the Prime Minister's announcement of a snap
:44:11. > :44:12.election, let's go back to Huw in Downing Street tonight.
:44:13. > :44:17.Our main story tonight is that the Prime Minister has taken
:44:18. > :44:20.everyone by surprise by requesting a general election on the 8th June.
:44:21. > :44:24.Tomorrow, MPs will be asked to approve the plan because under
:44:25. > :44:26.the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act the next election wasn't meant
:44:27. > :44:34.If, as expected, parliamentary approval is granted,
:44:35. > :44:43.it will mean a third UK-wide poll in the space of just two years,
:44:44. > :44:45.something that hasn't been seen since the 1970s.
:44:46. > :44:49.James Landale reports on a period of unpredictable politics.
:44:50. > :44:51.ARCHIVE: At 9.00pm last night, just 23-hours ago, Britain's day
:44:52. > :44:57.In the past, politics seemed so certain.
:44:58. > :45:00.We used to go to the polls every four or five years or so.
:45:01. > :45:04.When we were tired of one party, we'd give the other side a chance.
:45:05. > :45:13.But in the last few years, all that seems to have changed
:45:14. > :45:16.and the UK's now preparing to go to the polls for the third
:45:17. > :45:20.We are encircled by multiple uncertainties to a degree we have
:45:21. > :45:23.never been before in anybody's lifetime, unless they were alive
:45:24. > :45:26.They are on all the fronts - the European question,
:45:27. > :45:28.Britain's place in the world question, the Scottish
:45:29. > :45:30.question, the very existence of the United Kingdom
:45:31. > :45:32.as we recognise it and have grown up in it.
:45:33. > :45:35.All of these are, to a high degree, up in the air.
:45:36. > :45:39.Who would have predicted Nick and Dave's coalition in 2010?
:45:40. > :45:45.Or the referendum they held later on Scotland's place in the union?
:45:46. > :45:47.Few reckoned David Cameron would win an outright majority
:45:48. > :45:51.Just as hardly anyone foresaw the result of
:45:52. > :46:00.The British people have spoken add the answer is: we're out.
:46:01. > :46:10.And yes, few predicted that would mean Theresa May would be in.
:46:11. > :46:12.None of this would have surprised him because there's precedence
:46:13. > :46:15.In the 1920s, there were three general elections
:46:16. > :46:23.But these days, as we ask more of our politicians,
:46:24. > :46:26.are they asking more of us - more votes more often,
:46:27. > :46:29.to renew a mandate or support a particular policy in a referendum?
:46:30. > :46:35.In the 1970s, there was also a two-year period with
:46:36. > :46:38.and a referendum on Europe, in which yes, Mrs Thatcher
:46:39. > :46:45.All this voting doesn't please everyone, like Brenda in Bristol.
:46:46. > :46:55.I can't honestly, I can't stand this.
:46:56. > :46:57.There's too much politics going on at the moment.
:46:58. > :47:04.Well, for some, Theresa May's done it to create more certainty
:47:05. > :47:07.by ending what they see as a constitutional tension
:47:08. > :47:10.between the result of the referendum and the mood in Parliament.
:47:11. > :47:13.There's a conflict between plebiscitary sovereignty,
:47:14. > :47:14.and Parliamentary sovereignty, between the referendum and what
:47:15. > :47:24.Ultimately, parliamentary sovereignty must prevail.
:47:25. > :47:26.That is what our society, our history has depended upon.
:47:27. > :47:29.Theresa May wants a new Parliament to see in a new dawn in Britain's
:47:30. > :47:32.Unless, of course, politics changes suddenly once again
:47:33. > :47:41.Our political editor, Laura Kuenssberg, joins me again.
:47:42. > :47:48.I'm bound to pick up on Brenda's remarks there. There is clearly
:47:49. > :47:53.voter fatigue before we start? Absolutely. She won't be the only
:47:54. > :47:56.one. When you talk to people close to Theresa May they have been
:47:57. > :48:00.conscious of that for holding them back. Does the country want another
:48:01. > :48:04.election? They are aware for many people it will be a sense of - oh,
:48:05. > :48:08.no, here we go again. It comes down to that calculation. They think what
:48:09. > :48:12.stands to be gained, for them, trumps that as one of the risks.
:48:13. > :48:16.They are aware there is a longries of reasons why some people might
:48:17. > :48:20.resent them going forward with this at all. Seven weeks ahead, just
:48:21. > :48:23.about, I'm wondering how you think that will pan out in terms of
:48:24. > :48:27.issues? What kind of campaign will it be? It will be noisy, it will be
:48:28. > :48:32.quick, it will feel like it's going at a rate of knots. Morris than
:48:33. > :48:35.anything else, it will feel extremely different to the last
:48:36. > :48:40.general election. One male reason for that, there nt won't be TV
:48:41. > :48:43.debates. Number Ten made it clear Theresa May isn't interested in the
:48:44. > :48:47.head-to-head clashes we have seen in recent elections. That will look
:48:48. > :48:52.different. There are two other very important differences to the last
:48:53. > :48:55.election. Ed Miliband and David Cameron both young political Cos who
:48:56. > :48:59.rose through the ranks quickly inside their own parties. They had
:49:00. > :49:03.that in common, if you like. Theresa May and jbg wrbg are chalk and
:49:04. > :49:07.cheese. We had the long time rebel, now the leader and the reverent's
:49:08. > :49:11.daughter who worked her way up over the years. Different in style,
:49:12. > :49:15.totally different in political characters, too. Also, the context
:49:16. > :49:19.is completely different. Going into the last general election, all the
:49:20. > :49:22.way through the two main parties, Labour and Tory, were chasing each
:49:23. > :49:26.other day by day for the position to be ahead in the polls. It looked
:49:27. > :49:30.like there was almost nothing in it. Too close to call. Well, in the end,
:49:31. > :49:35.of course, there was a narrow Tory majority. We go into this general
:49:36. > :49:39.election in a completely different set of circumstances. Polls only
:49:40. > :49:44.give us a flavour, but a very, very strong flavour that the Tories enter
:49:45. > :49:48.this race at least with the prospect of a very significant victory, but
:49:49. > :49:51.who knows, 50 days we will have the answers then. Who knows.
:49:52. > :49:54.We will talk again tomorrow. Certainly will. Laura Kuenssberg
:49:55. > :49:58.there are there for us. That's all from Downing Street
:49:59. > :50:00.tonight, on the day Theresa May stunned colleagues and voters
:50:01. > :50:04.by announcing plans for an early There's more overnight
:50:05. > :50:06.on the BBC News Channel