British House of Commons dissolved for snap election

Britain's House of Commons was officially dissolved on Wednesday without the traditional pomp and ceremony and will not resume work until after the general election on June 8.

At precisely one minute past midnight to Wednesday, all 650 members of Parliament from the House of Commons, from Prime Minister Theresa May to back bench members, were stripped of their titles, becoming ordinary citizens.

May will visit Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace to gain formal approval for the dissolution, Xinhua news agency reported.

Under a fixed term law, introduced by former Prime Minister David Cameron, the lower house of Parliament sits for exactly five years which sets a specific timetable for dissolution and a new election.

Current Prime Minister Theresa May used a break-clause in the fixed-term law to call a snap election on June 8, as Britain prepares to negotiate with the European Union on its withdrawal from the bloc.

The dissolution also signalled the official start of Britain's election campaign, with all 650 seats of the Commons are up for grabs.

But the dissolution does not mean that Britain's government comes to an end.

"Government ministers remain in charge of their departments until after the result of the election is known and a new administration is formed," said a Parliament spokesman.

--IANS

soni/vt