The details of which are closely guarded but statements by the Prime Minister in Downing Street are usually reserved for significant announcements. Our assistant political editor, norman smith, is in Downing Street for us. Norman, the speculation is around an early election. What are you hearing . We have one unconfirmed source telling the bbc that theresa may looks set to announce the Snap General Election on june the may looks set to announce the Snap General Election onjune the 8th. That is roughly about six weeks away. Ignoring previous promises by number 10 that she would not go for an early summer election, she would stay the whole course through to 2020, repeatedly dismissing the idea. But we are now in a situation where some Opinion Polls giving the conservatives the lead of more than 20 over the labour party. There is a view that mrs may could have decided it is never going to be a better moment than now to go for a General Election. It would give her a huge mandate but were to win, the sort of majority many in the party believes she could win, it would give her a mandate to go into the brexit negotiations with a hugely strengthened hand. She will have held a Brexit Election and will go to brussels and say i have secured a mandate to secure this sort of deal on behalf of the british people. A hugely strengthened her handfuls of it would enable her to pursue her own domestic agenda, to pursue the sort of policies on grammar schools, speculation about whether she might wa nt to speculation about whether she might want to end the commitment to overseas aid staying at. 7 . She may wa nt to overseas aid staying at. 7 . She may want to jettison the camera and legacy. Is she had a Snap General Election when she could pursue that agenda and defeats with that narrow, narrow majority of around 16. We saw the effects of that in the House Of Commons when the chancellor was forced to backtrack in the face of a looming tory revolt over National Insurance changes. If mrs may where to get the sort of majority something she could get, that would free her from the something she could get, that would free herfrom the permanent something she could get, that would free her from the permanent danger of tory revolt. There are huge potential political advantages from going for a Snap Election. The disadvantages are that it would be breaking a repeated promise by Downing Street not to go for that snap early election. There is also a risk factor. You do not know what happens in General Elections. There are many tory mps in the main facing constituencies who might be worried about going to the polls against Liberal DemocratCandidate Campaigning strongly for a second referendum. We saw that with Zac Goldsmith in richmond. They might be more reluctant to have an early General Election. She would wave goodbye to the Boundary Review changes which would give her an additional 20 or so seats. There are reasons not to go. You sense, with the poll lead, in the wake of the copeland by election victory where she overturned the seat she may never, ever have one, she may take the view it is never going to get better than now. What are the logistics over calling an early election . There is the fixed Term Parliament at which means the next election is not scheduled till 2020. How will they get around that . Either you have to engineer a vote of No Confidence in the government or two thirds of mps have to vote for a general. That, i surmise, or two thirds of mps have to vote for a general. That, isurmise, is the route she will go down. Labour has said, on the record, they would be happy to vote for a General Election. They are up for it. Theresa may may choose to call their bluff or she is coming out now. Lets hear what she has to say. Lets hear what she has to saylj have just chaired a meeting of the cabinet where we have agreed the government should call a General Election to be held on the 8th of june. Iwant election to be held on the 8th of june. I want to explain the reasons for that decision. What will happen next, and the choice facing the british people, when you come to vote in this election. Last summer, after the country voted to leave the European Union, britain needs certainty, stability and strong leadership will stop since i became Prime Minister the government has delivered precisely that will stop despite predictions in the immediate financial and economic danger, since the referendum we have seen Consumer Confidence remain high. Economic growth that has exceeded all expectations. We have also delivered on the mandate that we were handed by the Referendum Result. Britain is leaving the European Union and there can be no turning back. As we look to the future, the government has the right plan for negotiating our new relationship with europe. We wa nt new relationship with europe. We want a new relationship with europe. We wanta deep new relationship with europe. We want a deep and special partnership between a strong and successful European Union and the United Kingdom that is free to chart its own way in the world. That means we will regain control of our own money, our own will regain control of our own money, our own laws, and our own borders. We will be free to strike trade deals with old friends and new partners all around the world. This is the right approach and it is in the National Interest. But the other Political Parties oppose it. At this moment of enormous national significance, there should be unity here In Westminster. But instead there is division. The country is coming together but westminster is not. In recent weeks, labour has threatened to vote against the final agreement we reach with the European Union. The Liberal Democrats have said they want to grind the business of government to a standstill. The Scottish National party said it will vote against the legislation up formally repealed britains should of the European Union. Unelected members of the House Of Lords have vowed to fight us every step of the way. Opponents believe, are resolvable weekend and they can force us to change course. They are wrong. They underestimate our determination to get the job done. I am not prepared to let them endanger the security of millions of working people across the country. What they are doing jeopardises the work we must do to prepare for Brexit At Home. And it weakens the governments Negotiating Position in europe. If we do not hold a General Election now, their political gameplaying will continue. And the negotiations with the European Union will reach their most difficult stage in the run up to the next scheduled election. Division In Westminster will risk our ability to make a success of brexit and it will cause damaging uncertainty and instability to the country. We need a General Election and we need one now. We have, at this moment, a one off chance to get this done while the European Union agrees its Negotiating Position and before the detailed talks begin. I have only re ce ntly detailed talks begin. I have only recently and reluctantly come to this conclusion. Since i became Prime Minister, i have said there should be no election until 2020. Now i have concluded that the only way to guarantee certainty and stability for the years ahead is to hold this election and seek your support for the decisions i must take. And so tomorrow i will move a motion in the House Of Commons, calling for a General Election to be held on the 8th ofjune. That motion, as set out by the fixed Term Parliament act, will require a two thirds majority by the House Of Commons. I have a simple challenge to the Opposition Parties. You have criticised the governments decision for brexit, challenged our objectives, threatened to block the legislation we put before parliament. This is your moment to show you mean it, show you are not opposing the government for the sake of it, to show that you do not treat politics as a game. Let us tomorrow vote for an election. Let us put forward our plans for brexit and our alternative plans for government and then let the people decide. And the decision facing the country will be all about leadership. It would be a choice between strong and stable leadership in the National Interest with me as your Prime Minister, or weakens, unstable, Coalition Government led by jeremy weakens, unstable, Coalition Government led byJeremy Corbyn, propped up by the Liberal Democrats, who want to reopen the divisions of the referendum and Nicola Sturgeon and the snp. A vote for the conservatives will make it harder for Opposition Politicians who want to stop me from getting the job done. Every vote for the conservatives will make me stronger when i negotiate for britain with the Prime Ministers, president s and chancellors of the European Union. Every vote for the conservatives will mean that we can stick to our plan for a stronger britain and take the right long term decisions for a secure future. It was with relu cta nce secure future. It was with reluctance that i decided the country needs this election. It is with strong conviction that i say it is necessary to secure the strong and stable leadership the country needs to see us through brexit and beyond. So, tomorrow, let the House Of Commons vote for an election. Let everybody put forward their proposals for brexit and their programmes for government and let us re move programmes for government and let us remove the risk of uncertainty and instability and continue to give the country the strong and stable leadership it demands. A dramatic announcement in Downing Street by the Prime Minister, calling a General Election for the 8th of june. Previously, she had said she would not call a Snap Election and referencing what she said about the prospects of a Snap Election in the past, chief said, it is only recently and past, chief said, it is only recently a Nd Relu Cta Ntly past, chief said, it is only recently and reluctantly that she has come to the conclusion that an early election is needed for the she said it was the only way to guarantee certainty and stability for the years ahead. She said her government is determined to see brexit through and she said opposition mps, in the way they have been talking about voting against the government, is damaging that and hampering the governments Negotiating Position in europe. That is why she will start the process tomorrow in the commons to override the fixed Term Parliament act in order to allow an election to go ahead on june eight. Order to allow an election to go ahead onjune eight. Lets go back to our assistant political editor, norman smith, in Downing Street. There it is. Another election, the second in two years. The sixweek Election Campaign. He would have guessed that . Who would have thought we would go into a Snap General Election . The argument of theresa may is basically brexit. She cannot secure the best deal for the british people because of what she says is the uncertainty, the divisions In Westminster, pinpointing the blame on labour who say they may have vote against a final deal and the snp said they may vote against the great repealed bill. In effect, she is saying they jeopardised temp repealed bill. In effect, she is saying theyjeopardised temp aand threaten the livelihoods of millions of people because of the outcome which she may be able to secure being weakened by the factual have a wea ker being weakened by the factual have a weaker negotiating hand. If she wins a General Election, mrs may said she will have the mandate to secure the sort of deal she wants. It seems she was almost trying to pictures have as on the side of the people against westminster, against those westminster, against those westminster parties, playing games, she said. She is presenting this as the Brexit Election and she is the brexit candidate, is, in effect, how theresa may is presenting theirs. She said she had come to this decision reluctantly. That is the only nod we had that she has done a u turn and scrapped her previous promises. She will not go for a Snap Election, she had said. Reluctantly she decided she could not go on because of the division and uncertainty at westminster. We now face a really ferocious battle over the next six weeks. Difficult for the next six weeks. Difficult for the other parties to work out how did a pitch it. Do they take her on over brexit and campaign against it . The Liberal Democrats certainly well. A difficult one for labour. Theresa may is revising the fear that David Cameron stoked up in the last General Election which is the idea of labour being propped up by the Scottish Nationalists. Theresa may again alluding to that idea saying, do you really want that sort of outcome . Tomorrow, of course, mrs may will go to parliament and in effect throw down the gauntlet to Jeremy Corbyn saying, again, you said you are ready for a General Election, vote for it. The real challenge for him will be, it is ha rd to challenge for him will be, it is hard to see how he cannot vote for a General Election without being accused of running away and deny the people a vote. Does that make it almost certain it will get through orare almost certain it will get through or are their speculations about whether this can go ahead . M or are their speculations about whether this can go ahead . It seems almost inconceivable that Jeremy Corbyn can say, we will not vote for it. We would like you to carry on anyway. What sort of message does that send your own people went Jeremy Corbyn has been so forthright in attacking theresa may . That seems to mea in attacking theresa may . That seems to me a non runner, quite apart from the political dynamics how would it look . Mrjohnson, are you glad there is an early election . Ie looking forward to an early election . Obviously, Cabinet Ministers have beenin obviously, Cabinet Ministers have been in there since 8 30am and they are now leaving. Are you looking forward to an election . I get the feeling there will be a futile task. They will probably be very obedient, not wanting to trump theresa may. To come back to your point, joanna, it is inconceivable that jeremy come back to your point, joanna, it is inconceivable thatJeremy Corbyn will not vote for it. It looks like he was running away, and he would be crucified in the media. Normally, we will be back with you but lets checkin will be back with you but lets check in on what the polling has indicated about what might happen with an early election. We can speak to professorjohn curtice, professor of politics at the university of strathclyde. And the polling h