:00:00. > :00:11.Welcome to Southeast is today. eight. And that is
:00:12. > :00:13.Theresa May calls a snap general election -
:00:14. > :00:15.what will it mean for some of the most fiercely fought
:00:16. > :00:25.It is with strong conviction that I see it is necessary to secure the
:00:26. > :00:32.strong and stable leadership of the country to see us through Brexit and
:00:33. > :00:37.beyond. Will Labour the Lib Dems or you could be able to win back seats
:00:38. > :00:41.from the Conservatives? Economic the country decide what we want so I
:00:42. > :00:43.think it is a good move. It could potentially bring more instability.
:00:44. > :00:46.reaction in Ramsgate, Hove and Westminster.
:00:47. > :00:48.Also in tonight's programme: Her toddler died after drinking
:00:49. > :00:54.methadone a Kent mother denies manslaughter by gross negligence.
:00:55. > :00:56.And the Seagulls flying high, Brighton and Hove Albion
:00:57. > :00:59.are promoted to the top division of English football for the first
:01:00. > :01:15.It's the announcement that caught everyone unawares,
:01:16. > :01:17.and it's already being dubbed the "Brexit Election".
:01:18. > :01:23.Just two years after the last general election, we're
:01:24. > :01:26.going to the polls again on June the 8th, after Theresa May
:01:27. > :01:30.called a snap election, claiming divisions in Westminster
:01:31. > :01:32.are jeopardising Britain's ability to make a success of Brexit.
:01:33. > :01:37.It means 29 seats will be up for grabs across the South East.
:01:38. > :01:39.Our Political Editor Helen Catt has been finding out
:01:40. > :01:42.if voters and politicians in Kent and Sussex think the Prime Minister
:01:43. > :01:55.From a Prime Minister not given to shocks, the biggest surprise
:01:56. > :02:00.announcements. Division in Westminster will risk her ability to
:02:01. > :02:04.make a success of Brexit and it will cause damaging uncertainty and
:02:05. > :02:10.instability to the country. So we need a general election and we need
:02:11. > :02:16.one now. In Gravesham 65% of voters chose to leave the EU. So two people
:02:17. > :02:20.in -- do people in Gravesend think she has made the right call? I think
:02:21. > :02:25.she's calling that because she knows she is in a good position. In my
:02:26. > :02:29.personal view I think she's in a good position. She probably does
:02:30. > :02:34.care for the country but I don't know why she wants an election. For
:02:35. > :02:37.me it is a total waste of money. Most people in the south-east will
:02:38. > :02:42.welcome the chance to vote for a five-year term, a government of five
:02:43. > :02:48.years that gives us the stability to get the EP in Deal laid out in
:02:49. > :02:52.everybody's interests and lay the ground for a stronger fairer Britain
:02:53. > :02:56.of the future. Calling a snap election is not without risk for
:02:57. > :03:00.Theresa May she is giving other parties the chance to make a dent on
:03:01. > :03:03.the blue map of the county 's three years early and by framing it as a
:03:04. > :03:07.Brexit collection she could be making life more difficult for
:03:08. > :03:11.Conservative MPs in remain voting places like Tunbridge Wells. Or
:03:12. > :03:19.remain voting marginal Lois and the local MP is a strong Brexit backer.
:03:20. > :03:23.If the people don't support this Prime Minister maybe they don't
:03:24. > :03:28.really want to get out of the EU, that would be right. Brexit is
:03:29. > :03:32.happening, it will probably just strengthen the hand. It will make
:03:33. > :03:37.the country decide what they want so I think it is a related move. It
:03:38. > :03:41.could potentially bring more instability, I think it would have
:03:42. > :03:46.been better if Theresa May had not been -- had been able to see through
:03:47. > :03:49.the process. I am very pleased that Theresa May has called this general
:03:50. > :03:53.election, the Green party have asked her to do this ever since she has
:03:54. > :03:57.pursued this extreme form of Brexit for which he has no mandate to the
:03:58. > :04:01.Green party will put forward a positive alternative to this extreme
:04:02. > :04:05.type of Brexit but also to the extreme cuts that we're seeing from
:04:06. > :04:08.this government. Some political experts believe there is no better
:04:09. > :04:12.time for Theresa May to go to the polls here. The further she goes on
:04:13. > :04:16.in government and will likely see is to see her majority shrink, she had
:04:17. > :04:20.a small working majority at the moment and it is likely that her
:04:21. > :04:24.approval in the opinion polls will go down over time so things will not
:04:25. > :04:28.get better for her and this is a good time to call a general
:04:29. > :04:30.election. A calculated risk, then, we will see that pays off in the
:04:31. > :04:32.south-east and seven weeks' time. This was the political map
:04:33. > :04:35.of the South East after the last General Election on the seventh May
:04:36. > :04:38.2015 - a sea of Conservative blue - with 27 of our 29
:04:39. > :04:40.constituencies voting Tory, apart from one
:04:41. > :04:42.Labour seat in Hove and Brighton Pavilion remaining
:04:43. > :04:46.Green. Then on the 23rd of June last
:04:47. > :04:50.year we went to the polls again to vote in the Brexit Referendum -
:04:51. > :04:54.with the South East voting