The UK parliament [official website] voted [transcript] Wednesday to move the date of the next parliamentary general election up from May 7, 2020 to June 8, 2017. The motion was approved [press release] by a vote of 522 to 13, which exceeded the necessary two-thirds vote to hold an early election. The conservative party currently [CNN report] has a small majority in the Parliament’s lower house. Prime Minister Theresa May has stated that the general election will “secure the strong and stable leadership the country needs to see [the UK] through Brexit an beyond.” The election will delay the Brexit negotiations, which must be concluded by March 29, 2019. May has accused some members of the current House of Commons of trying to “thwart the Brexit process.”

The European Union President outlined [JURIST report] the future negotiation plan with the UK in regards to their exit from the European Union at the end of March. The UK officially triggered [JURIST report] the process of leaving the EU on March 29. The UK parliament released [JURIST report] the Great Repeal Bill outlining the process on March 30. In response to the move to leave the EU, Scottish lawmakers had voted [JURIST report] on March 28 to hold a independence referendum. A majority of UK citizens voted [JURIST report] to leave the EU in a referendum in June.