A GENERAL Election is set to take place on June 8 - with people across Worcestershire left stunned.

Prime Minister Theresa May yesterday outlined plans for a shock summer poll, saying she needed to "make a success of Brexit" by going to the country.

It means voters across the county - and the rest of Britain - face a second General Election in just three years.

The sensational announcement took all of Worcestershire's MPs and council leaders by complete surprise yesterday as well as the public.

The PM has repeatedly insisted she would not seek a general election until 2020, but made her sudden announcement at 11.05am yesterday in a dramatic u-turn.

A vote is taking place in the Commons today where she requires support from two-thirds of MPs to go to the country in June.

Reaction poured in on social media yesterday, with readers saying they had mixed feelings on it while others voiced concern about it becoming another ad hoc EU debate.

Mrs May has a fragile working majority of just 17 MPs in the Commons and says she wants "unity" at Westminster as talks on Brexit begin.

"The country is coming together, but Westminster is not," she said.

"I have concluded the only way to guarantee certainty and security for the years ahead is to hold this election."

BROMSGROVE MP SAJID JAVID HOPING TO STAND

Mr Javid said: “It’s important that we have the strong and stable leadership required to deliver on Brexit.

"The choice is between securing the national interest with Theresa May and the Conservatives – or weak and unstable coalition government led by Jeremy Corbyn.”

When asked if he will be standing as a candidate, Mr Javid said it would be 'a decision for the local Conservative Association', but that he hopes he will get the opportunity.

Bromsgrove's Labour Group are yet to announce their parliamentary candidate, but chairman Michael Thompson said the group has welcomed the surprise announcement.

He said: "We welcome a chance to offer the people of the Bromsgrove constituency an alternative to Sajid Javid.

Bromsgrove'ss UKIP and Liberal Democrat groups say they are "ready for battle".

Bromsgrove's Liberal Democrats, on the other hand, have revealed that Neil Lewis will be standing on their behalf.

Speaking to the Advertiser, Mr Lewis said: "This election is all about Brexit. It’s a straight fight between hard Brexit Conservatives - meekly supported by Jeremy Corbyn's Labour - against the pro-single market Lib Dems.

"A hard Brexit deal will hurt many Bromsgrove people and businesses and we will be campaigning to stop Mrs May and Sajid Javid silencing their opponents.

"The Bromsgrove Liberal Democrats are ready to battle to keep Britain open, tolerant and united."

Adrian Smart, speaking on behalf of UKIP Bromsgrove, said Mrs May's announcement 'makes for rather tight timing', with just seven weeks to 'prepare and fight'.

Mr Smart said: "In itself the call for a General Election is not really that surprising, especially given the leading position Mrs May and her Government have in the polls at present, and going to the Country will put to bed the question of Mrs May's legitimacy as Prime Minister once and for all.

"At the same time, it will allow her to deal with one or two other pressing issues such as the removal of at least some of those rather vocal, Conservative 'remainers' who are attempting to derail Brexit."

"Bromsgrove UKIP will do its best to unseat the current incumbent and convert Bromsgrove to a UKIP seat in Parliament."

The group are yet to announce their parliamentary candidate.

WHAT HAPPENS NOW?

A vote is taking place today among all 650 MPs in parliament to agree to hold a General Election on Thursday, June 8.

Two-thirds of them will need to support the move for it to be confirmed, tearing up the existing Fixed Term Parliaments Act, which had pencilled in the next one for 2020.

Theresa May holds an overall majority of just 17 seats, which is historically very small.

But all six Worcestershire seats are currently Conservative, with a 'blue bounce' resulting in some hefty increases in their share of the vote in 2015.

If it gets approved today, the polls will open as normal between 7am-10pm on Thursday, June 8.

The result will be announced in the early hours of Friday, June 9.

HOW THEY FARED LAST TIME IN 2015

Worcester

Conservative hold; Robin Walker (majority 5,646)

West Worcestershire

Conservative hold; Harriett Baldwin (majority 22,578)

Mid-Worcestershire

Conservative hold; Nigel Huddleston (majority 20,532)

Wyre Forest

Conservative hold; Mark Garnier (majority 12,871)

Redditch

Conservative hold; Karen Lumley (majority 7,054)

Bromsgrove

Conservative hold; Sajid Javid (majority 16,529)