Theresa May calls snap election

So, what are we to make of the Prime Minister Theresa May calling a snap election? After all, she has repeatedly stated that the Government should be focused on Brexit negotiations and not elections or any more referendums.

But as we all know a week is a long time in politics. So what has changed?

My gut feeling is that May’s decision was probably motivated more by Brexit/EU politics than any immediate domestic political considerations.

After triggering Article 50 to leave the EU the initial European goodwill that said, ‘no one wants to punish the UK for leaving the EU’, has been increasing followed by, ‘it will be almost impossible for the UK to have a meaningful trade deal signed in two years’. Well placed commentators argue that without such agreement there would serious implications for UK banking, airlines, the medical profession and many other areas that Brexiters had never even dreamt would be affected when they voted to leave.

The prospect, therefore, for May leaving the EU with hard Brexit because her deep Euro sceptics are not willing to negotiate, is I suspect, a key driver the PM going to the polls.

Her calculation is probably: ‘Labour are in the doldrums, the Lib Dems are irrelevant, therefore I win with an increased majority, shut up my own extreme euro sceptics, and I negotiate with the EU on my/stronger terms’.

But it’s another huge political gamble. The first gamble you’ll remember was by the former Prime Minister David Cameron, who by offering the nation a vote on leaving the EU, felt that it would not only take the wind from the sails of UKIP, but also give a political bone to euro sceptics, for a while at least. Look how that gamble turned out?

Whilst considering all these facts we should also remember that this election is not about them-politicians, but about us.

And as such in regards to our communities during these seven or so weeks, we’ll fight for race equality and fight against xenophobia. We’ll engage in a late voter registration drive, hold hustings meetings in marginal seats, write a Black political manifesto and hold a national meeting with major party leaders.

OBV is once again ready to fight for BME communities.

Simon Woolley