Should Theresa May call an early general election?
William Hague warns 'trouble is coming' over Brexit and urges PM to look for bigger majority
27 June
With Britain still deeply divided over the outcome of the EU referendum and the two major political parties divided over who should lead them forward and how, is a general election the only way out of the post-referendum chaos?
The next one isn't due until 2020, but a legislative loophole allows a two-third majority of MPs to set an earlier date.
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.
Now, a growing number of politicians and commentators are arguing that a prompt general election is the only way to establish a credible mandate for the future.
"There is no shared understanding of what our country is or should be," argues Juliet Samuel in the Daily Telegraph. "Even inside the Leave campaign, there is no coherent idea of how the country should look."
According to party website Conservative Home, a Leave MP will almost certainly take the Tory top spot when members vote for their new leader – which creates problems of its own.
"Tory Remain refuseniks may well dig in to deny the new Government much of its business," the site says, leaving a pro-Brexit Tory government without a workable majority.
"A general election might not resolve the impasse, but no other means will be at hand that offers a chance of doing so."
The next Tory leader "will immediately come under pressure to call an early election", says The Independent. A general election could be held as soon as this autumn, or early in 2017.
At the moment, it's almost impossible to predict what the outcome might be if Britain does go to the polls within a year.
Before the referendum, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn declared he was "very ready" to contest a snap election. However, the open lack of faith in his leadership, which has seen more than a dozen resignations and one sacking in the shadow cabinet, does not bode well for his ability to win a majority at the polls.
Then there are the Liberal Democrats, who had been looking moribund since their decimation in the 2015 elections but who have proven to be the surprise winners of Brexit.
Their pledge to block Britain's withdrawal from the EU if elected has seen thousands sign up to the party and could end up being the springboard that propels them back to the forefront of British politics.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
4 ways to give back this holiday season
The Explainer If your budget is feeling squeezed, remember that money is not the only way you can be generous around the holidays
By Becca Stanek, The Week US Published
-
4 tips for hosting an ecofriendly Thanksgiving
The Week Recommends Coming together for the holidays typically produces a ton of waste, but with proper preparation, you can have an environmentally friendly gathering.
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Jussie Smollet conviction overturned on appeal
Speed Read The Illinois Supreme Court overturned the actor's conviction on charges of staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself in 2019
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
John Prescott: was he Labour's last link to the working class?
Today's Big Quesiton 'A total one-off': tributes have poured in for the former deputy PM and trade unionist
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Last hopes for justice for UK's nuclear test veterans
Under the Radar Thousands of ex-service personnel say their lives have been blighted by aggressive cancers and genetic mutations
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Will Donald Trump wreck the Brexit deal?
Today's Big Question President-elect's victory could help UK's reset with the EU, but a free-trade agreement with the US to dodge his threatened tariffs could hinder it
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
What is the next Tory leader up against?
Today's Big Question Kemi Badenoch or Robert Jenrick will have to unify warring factions and win back disillusioned voters – without alienating the centre ground
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Is Labour risking the 'special relationship'?
Today's Big Question Keir Starmer forced to deny Donald Trump's formal complaint that Labour staffers are 'interfering' to help Harris campaign
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Why are Democrats suddenly focused on Donald Trump's mental acuity?
Today's Big Question As Election Day looms, Kamala Harris and her allies are mounting a late-stage attack on the former president's mental health — but why now? And will it matter to voters?
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
What is Lammy hoping to achieve in China?
Today's Big Question Foreign secretary heads to Beijing as Labour seeks cooperation on global challenges and courts opportunities for trade and investment
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Men in Gray suits: why the plots against Starmer's top adviser?
Today's Big Question Increasingly damaging leaks about Sue Gray reflect 'bitter acrimony' over her role and power struggle in new government
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published