Theresa May just called for a snap election. That's a genius move.
Calling a snap election is always a risk, but in this case, it's one worth taking


A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Thank you for signing up to TheWeek. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May just called a snap election. Most often, prime ministers call new elections to break some political crisis and do a sort of referendum on whatever issue has been holding up Parliament. But sometimes, a prime minister will do it just because they're very popular and they want to "lock in" that popularity and increase their majority and term in office. Margaret Thatcher did just this after the Falklands War. Under Britain's latest constitutional reform, calling a new election now requires a two-thirds majority in Parliament, but even so, it seems likely that May will get her wish. The current Parliament was elected in 2015 and its five-year term runs until 2020; if Theresa May wins the election, she will have a term until 2022.
Many commentators have been urging May to call a snap election. The political calculus is quite simple: May is popular. Meanwhile, the opposition Labour Party's far-left leader, Jeremy Corbyn, while quite popular with his core hardline constituency, is unpopular in the country at large and widely regarded as hapless. The latest polls give May's Conservative Party a 21-point lead over Labour.
What's more, May never won a general election in her own name: She became prime minister after an intra-party contest within the Conservative Party after her predecessor David Cameron resigned in the wake of the Brexit vote. Winning a general election as leader of the Conservative Party would increase her democratic legitimacy and stature.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Extending the current majority's term would also allow May to negotiate Brexit with a clearer mind. The clock is ticking: The U.K. now has two years to leave the European Union. With a five-year term ahead of her, May could negotiate with Brussels without worrying that whatever happens after the deadline will be judged in an upcoming election. Right now, all of British political life is consumed by Brexit. It is the only item on Parliament's agenda and in the news. May — who opposed Brexit, if sheepishly — probably wants to be remembered for something other than Brexit and to make some policy on her own terms.
And for these reasons — increasing her democratic legitimacy and extending her time in office — winning a snap election would strengthen May's hand in her negotiations with Brussels.
Thus far, May has handled the extremely complicated and tricky Brexit process about as well as anyone could hope. She has shown a very strong political sense, understanding where the mood of her country stands, and trying to redefine liberal conservatism for this populist age of the West. She's exceeded my expectations of her as prime minister.
At the same time, even when you're 20 points ahead in the polls, calling a snap election is always a gamble. Electorates are fickle, and there's always the risk you might end up felled by your own sword. Theresa May is typically a careful politician. But here, she's taken the right gamble. Kudos to her.
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
Sign up to our 10 Things You Need to Know Today newsletter
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry is a writer and fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. His writing has appeared at Forbes, The Atlantic, First Things, Commentary Magazine, The Daily Beast, The Federalist, Quartz, and other places. He lives in Paris with his beloved wife and daughter.
-
Ten Things You Need to Know Today: 30 September 2023
The Week’s daily digest of the news agenda, published at 8am
By The Week Staff Published
-
Crossword: September 30, 2023
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sudoku hard: September 30, 2023
The Week's daily hard sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
'Labour risks making private schools a conclave for the super-rich'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By The Week Staff Published
-
Rebuilding Ukraine: What would it take?
In Depth Russia continues to raze large sections of Ukraine, but that gives Kyiv a unique opening to build a better country — if somebody is willing to pay
By Peter Weber Published
-
Is it time the world re-evaluated the rules on migration?
Today's Big Question Home Secretary Suella Braverman questions whether 1951 UN Refugee Convention is 'fit for our modern age'
By The Week Staff Published
-
A Ukraine election in 2024: how it would work
The Explainer Zelenskyy hints that country is ready for March polls but logistical, security and democratic obstacles remain
By Harriet Marsden Published
-
How Ukraine's claimed kill of Russia's top Black Sea Fleet admiral could affect the war
Speed Read Ukraine says it killed Russian Adm. Viktor Sokolov and 33 other senior commanders in an audacious and expertly timed strike in Crimea
By Peter Weber Published
-
Azerbaijan attacks disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, breaking cease-fire
The 'local anti-terrorist' strikes in the ethnic Armenian enclave threaten to reignite a war with implications for Russia, Turkey and the West
By Peter Weber Published
-
Canada's Trudeau accuses India of role in assassination of Canadian Sikh leader
Canada expelled a senior Indian diplomat after going public with explosive 'credible allegations' that Indian agents helped kill a Canadian citizen
By Peter Weber Published
-
US-Iran prisoner swap: has Biden given in to blackmail?
Republicans condemn $6bn deal but it could help de-escalate rising tensions
By The Week Staff Published