British PM Theresa May calls for snap general election in June

British Prime Minister Theresa May threw down a gauntlet today, calling an early election for June 8 in an effort to gain strength for negotiations on Brexit — leaving the European Union. Outside Number 10 Downing Street, May challenged her political opposition to show that it is "not opposing the government for the sake of it, to show that you do not treat politics as a game."

The Scottish National Party wants that part of Britain to say in the European Union. Leader Nicola Sturgeon told the BBC that May "sees the opportunity given the total disarray in the ranks of the Labour Party to crush all opposition to her, to get rid of people that disagree with her and to give herself a free hand to take the country in the increasingly right wing direction that she wants to take it in."

Alan Cowell, who contributes to the New York Times from London, believes that May called the early election to prove her she maintains a mandate.