Highlights: PM May announces early elections on June 8, says polls will guarantee stability

4:35 pm: 

Whatever happened to ‘now is not the time’? UK General Election: 8th June. Straight choice in Scotland between @theSNP and Tories. #VoteSNP

— Angus Robertson (@AngusRobertson) April 18, 2017

4:32 pm: 

Polls open 50 days, 19 hours, 53 minutes. #GE17 #VoteSNP

— Peter Murrell (@PeterMurrell) April 18, 2017

4:29 pm: Back in 2016, Prime Minister Theresa May had told BBC’s Andrew Marr in an interview that she won’t be calling for a snap election.

4:27 pm:

The Tories see a chance to move the UK to the right, force through a hard Brexit and impose deeper cuts. Let’s stand up for Scotland. #GE17

— Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) April 18, 2017

4:21 pm: 

Brave – and right – decision by PM @Theresa_May. My very best wishes to all Conservative candidates. @Conservatives

— David Cameron (@David_Cameron) April 18, 2017

4:21 pm: 

Sun is shining. Perfect moment for an election. Let’s go.

— Stephen Crabb (@scrabbmp) April 18, 2017

4:14 pm: Meanwhile, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was quoted by the BBC as saying: “I welcome the Prime Minister’s decision to give the British people the chance to vote for a government that will put the interests of the majority first.”

4:08 pm: 

“A feeling this will be a futile task, none of them is going to want to trump Theresa May” – @BBCNormanS as Johnson & Hunt decline to speak pic.twitter.com/Pywy15Yr6l

— BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) April 18, 2017

3:55 pm: PM May also said: “If we do not hold a general election now, their political game playing will continue.”

British Prime Minister Theresa May answers a question from the media during the final press briefing at the EU Summit in Brussels, Friday, Oct. 21, 2016. Britain’s prime minister vowed on Thursday that the U.K. would continue to exert it full rights in the workings of the European Union until it leaves the 28-nation bloc. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

3:53 pm: In her speech, as reported by the BBC, the prime minister said the country is coming together but Westminster remains divided. “In recent weeks Labour have threatened to vote against the final agreement we reach with the European Union. The Liberal Democrats said they want to grind the business of government to a standstill. The Scottish National Party say they will vote against the legislation that formally repeals Britain’s membership of the European Union. And un-elected members of the House of Lords have vowed to fight us every step of the way,” May was quoted as saying by the news agency.

3:50 pm: 

This is your chance to change the direction of your country pic.twitter.com/wfj4wC7yn3

— Tim Farron (@timfarron) April 18, 2017

3:47 pm: According to the BBC, PM May said in the speech she wanted to explain the reason for her decision to call for elections and what will happen next for Britain.

3:41 pm: According to Reuters, PM May has said the only way to “guarantee certainty and stability for the years ahead is to hold this election and seek your support for the decisions I must take”.

3:36 pm: Theresa May calls a snap general election to be held on 8 June, according to Reuters.

3.25 pm: BBC’s assistant political editor Norman Smith said the media is usually briefed prior to the Prime Minister’s announcements, but there is no official word regarding today’s statement. “Prime ministers only make Downing Street statements when it’s something significant,” he added.