SNP will abstain from Commons vote on early general election

The SNP have confirmed they'll abstain from this afternoon's vote on an early general election. The party have made their stance official after already saying they wouldn't stand in the way of an election.

Last time around they won 56 seats in Scotland and Treasury Spokesman Stewart Hosie has been telling our Political Correspondent Alan Smith they can repeat that success on June the 8th:

Alan also caught up with Tory MP David Mundell at Westminster:

MPs are today expected to back Mrs May's demand for an early vote, three years ahead of the next scheduled general election.

Theresa May says it's necessary to prevent opposition parties at Westminster frustrating'' the Brexit process.

The Prime Minister, who performed a U-turn by calling for a vote on June 8, said an election would also improve the UK's position in negotiations with European Union leaders.

Mrs May said the election would give the opportunity for stability and certainty'' during the period of the Brexit process.

She said: "When it came to triggering Article 50, around that time it became clear the extent to which the opposition parties in Westminster were intent on what I would describe as frustrating the Brexit process.

"Because Brexit isn't just about the letter that says we want to leave, it's about negotiating the deal, about getting the right deal from Europe.''

She added: "People have a unity of purpose. The public want us to deliver on leaving the European Union and they want us to build that stronger Britain for the future beyond leaving the European Union.''

Under the terms of the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act, Mrs May must secure a two-thirds majority of MPs to bring the election forward by three years from the scheduled date of May 2020.

She is expected to secure the backing of the Commons, with Labour supporting her call for an early election.

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