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Prime Minister Theresa May has announced plans to hold a general election on 8 June, after “reluctantly” realising that it was necessary ahead of Britain’s departure from the European Union in 2019.

 

May has previously refused to call an early general election but today said: “I have concluded the only way to guarantee certainty and security for years ahead is to hold this election.”

 

MPs must now vote to approve the plans in the House of Commons – a two-thirds majority is needed to bring forward the next planned election in 2020. Labour and the Liberal Democrats welcomed the news, while the Scottish National Party’s Nicola Sturgeon labelled the move a “political miscalculation”.

 

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Alliance, said that despite being prompted by Brexit, the election was likely to prove critical to the early years sector. Neil said: “We urge all political parties to use this as an opportunity to develop a clear, evidence-based, sustainable approach to early years policy – one that puts quality, and the needs of the child, first.”

 

The snap election will come at a difficult time for the early years sector, as many providers are making plans ahead of the nationwide roll-out of the 30-hours offer in September. Neil added: “For far too long, childcare and early education has been used a political football, with the sector constantly on the receiving end of uncosted, underfunded promises. We hope that such an approach will not be repeated in the run up to 8 June.”