MPs backed Boris Johnson’s plan for a pre-Christmas general election last night. Here’s what you need to know.
Will the election campaign be all about Brexit?
Brexit will be a big flashpoint as the major parties have much more pointed policy stances than they did in 2017.
The Tories will be pushing the amended Withdrawal Agreement Mr Johnson secured with Brussels, which all wings of the party have, grudgingly, united behind.
Labour wants to renegotiate that deal and then put the results to a new referendum, and the Liberal Democrats seek to revoke Brexit without the need for a fresh national poll on the issue.
What are the other issues?
As Theresa May found out in 2017, it is easy to lose control of the narrative of an election campaign.
Law and order is likely to figure large as, in his short tenure as premier, Mr Johnson has put his tanks on Labour’s lawn and matched their pledge to fund 20,000 extra police officers.
The NHS and adult social care are also set to be major issues.
When will I know who is standing in my constituency?
Candidates must register to stand in a seat 19 working days before a general election.
Will Brexit happen once we’ve had the vote?
Not immediately. But, if the Tories secure a majority they could push through their Withdrawal Agreement Bill (WAB) – House of Lords willing – and, under the so-called “flextension” agreed with Brussels, the UK could quit the EU on December 31, rather than the currently scheduled exit date of January 31.
However, the European Parliament would also need to ratify the deal before the end of December for this to happen.
Will this be the last election for a while?
Given the rollercoaster nature of British politics over recent years, who knows?
However, if a party, or coalition of parties, manages to secure a majority, politicians are likely to want to avoid forcing voters to the polls again so soon after the third general election in four-and-a-half years.
