General Election June 2017: Theresa May enjoys huge poll lead over Jeremy Corbyn ahead of vote

Theresa May called a general election today which will be held on June 8
Jeremy Selwyn
Tom Powell18 April 2017
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Theresa May will begin campaigning for the General Election with the largest poll lead of any Conservative prime minister in modern history.

The Conservatives currently lead Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour by an average of 17 points – with less than two months to go before the snap election on June 8.

At the same point in the 2015 general election campaign, David Cameron’s party were roughly two points behind Labour but went on to defy pollsters and win a majority.

This time the Conservatives look set to win a landslide victory with 44 per cent of the vote, according to the latest YouGov poll.

The Labour party would only win 23 per cent, while the Lib Dems would secure 12 per cent and UKIP 10 per cent.

The Prime Minister dropped the political bombshell on Tuesday morning when she called for a snap General Election in an announcement outside Number 10.

“We need a general election and we need one now,” she said.

“At this moment of enormous national significance, there should be unity here in Westminster but instead there is division. The country is coming together but Westminster is not.”

Jeremy Corbyn has welcomed the snap election
PA

The stunning statement left the political world dashing to prepare for seven weeks of frenetic campaigning.

Various polls suggest the Tories are likely to add 50 seats to the 331 secured in 2015, winning with a majority of more than 100 seats.

Around 50 per cent of people currently think Mrs May would make the best prime Minister, with Mr Corbyn languishing on 14 per cent. Some 36 per cent are not sure, according to YouGov.

A recent Ipsos MORI survey for the Standard similarly found that fifty three per cent of adults are satisfied with Mrs May as Prime Minister.

By contrast, Mr Corbyn’s net satisfaction rating has dropped marginally from minus 35 to minus 38 - his worst since last July.

Even among Labour supporters his net satisfaction rating is minus nine, compared with Mrs May’s plus 81 among Conservative backers.

Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats are hoping to seize on the election as an opportunity to further their own mini-resurgence.

Leader Tim Farron told voters: "This is your chance to change the direction of your country".

Lib Dem leader Tim Farron wants to build on his party's mini-resurgence
PA

And in the hour after the General Election was announced, his party said it had gained around 1,000 new members.

The Lib Dems have consistently called for a second referendum on the final Brexit deal Mrs May achieves after negotiations with the European Union, and want to keep the UK in the European single market.

The party suffered a disastrous election last time out, losing all but six seats. But since then a strong public stance on supporting membership of the European single market has seen their stock rise in polls.

"If you want to avoid a disastrous hard Brexit, if you want to keep Britain in the single market, if you want a Britain that is open, tolerant and united, this is your chance,” said Mr Farron.

"Only the Liberal Democrats can prevent a Conservative majority."

His statement stood in contrast to Mr Corbyn’s, which did not mention the EU or Brexit at all.

Instead, he said he “welcomed” the snap election and said Labour would be offering an “effective alternative to a government that has failed to rebuild the economy, delivered falling living standards and damaging cuts to our schools and NHS.”

This snap election comes just nine months after the EU referendum, and two years and one month after David Cameron won in 2015.

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