LAST Tuesday the Prime Minister Theresa May announced that the public would be returning to the polls in a snap General Election to take place on June 8.

The announcement will no doubt have come as a surprise to many of you – including us working in Westminster – and I hope to reassure you that this is the right decision for the country moving forward.

I agree that it is in the national interest to call a General Election at this moment.

Article 50 has been triggered and the negotiations for the terms of our withdrawal from the European Union have officially commenced.

An election now seeks to provide political stability to weather any potential turbulence we may encounter in the Brexit process.

Whether you voted Leave or Remain in last June’s EU referendum, it is clear that the objective is to strengthen the Prime Minister’s negotiating hand in Europe and that is beneficial for all.

The timing of the vote is particularly important: I agree with the Prime Minister that holding a General Election now will ensure that the Government can fully focus on negotiations with the European Union.

These would have reached their most difficult stage in the run-up to the next scheduled election and uncertainty during that time may have been detrimental to our final deal.

Holding this vote now is therefore vital in laying the strong political foundations required to ensure a good outcome that works for everyone.

For those of you who haven’t already, in order to have your say and mark your ballot on June 8 you must register to vote by May 22.

It only takes a few minutes and can be done online at gov.uk/register-to-vote.

If you are unable to vote in person on the date, you can arrange a postal vote or a proxy – when you nominate somebody to vote on your behalf.

Anyone who is registered to vote can apply for either of these voting methods and instructions can be found at yourvotematters.co.uk.

I fully appreciate that Oxfordshire in particular has had a lot of elections in the past year – the EU referendum, local council elections and now the upcoming General Election. However, I share the view of my colleagues that this is the right move at the right time to secure the strong and stable leadership the UK requires.