British Prime Minister Theresa May has called for a snap General Election in June in a move that has shocked Britain’s political establishment and taken observers by surprise.

In a speech outside 10 Downing Street Tuesday morning, Mrs May said she decided to call the election to strengthen her hand in the forthcoming Brexit negotiations with the European Union.

“Since I became Prime Minister, I said there would be no election until 2020,” she said. “But now, I concluded the only way to guarantee stability and certainty in the years ahead is to hold this election and seek your support for decisions we take.”

She also blamed the intransigence of opposition parties for her decision, adding: “What they are doing jeopardises what we must to do prepare for Brexit at home. And it weakens the Government’s negotiating position in Europe.

“If we do not hold a General Election now, their political game play continues and negotiations with the European Union will reach their most difficult stage in the run up to the next scheduled General Election.”

She will go to MPs tomorrow to ask for permission to call the early election. Under the Fix Term Parliaments Act, she needs a two-thirds majority to call the election, but the opposition Labour Party has said it will support the motion, meaning the election is highly likely to happen on Thursday 8 June.

Addressing journalists, the Prime Minister said: