Political parties are readying themselves for a general election campaign after MPs voted for a 12 December poll.
The legislation approved by MPs on Tuesday will later begin its passage through the House of Lords, where it is not expected to be opposed.
Boris Johnson says he is ready to fight a “tough” general election.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the snap poll was a “once-in-a-generation” opportunity to transform the country.
Writing in the Daily Mirror, he said: “We’re launching the most ambitious and radical campaign for real change that our country has ever seen.”
But Mr Johnson hopes the vote will give him a fresh mandate for his deal to leave the EU and break the current deadlock in Parliament.
He told Conservative MPs it was time for the country to “come together to get Brexit done”, adding: “It’ll be a tough election and we are going to do the best we can.”
The poll comes after the EU extended the UK’s exit deadline to 31 January 2020 – although Brexit can happen earlier if a deal is agreed by MPs.
Mr Corbyn and Mr Johnson will face each other at Prime Minister’s Questions at mid-day – likely to be final clash before Parliament is dissolved for the election.
- The Early Parliamentary General Election Bill – which prompts the election – will be debated in the House of Lords on Wednesday
- If peers make any amendments to the bill, it will head back to the Commons for MPs to approve or reject the changes
- Once passed, the bill will receive Royal Assent – when the Queen formally agrees to the bill becoming law
- On Monday 4 November, MPs are due to elect a new Speaker to replace John Bercow
- Just after midnight on Wednesday 6 November, Parliament will be shut down or “dissolved” – meaning every seat in the House of Commons becomes vacant
- Five weeks later, the country will go to the polls for the first December election since 1923
The legislation approved by MPs now must be rubberstamped by the House of Lords.
It would be pretty strange if unelected peers up the corridor from the green benches decided to say no or throw spanners in the works of a decision made by the House of Commons last night.
Unless something very strange happens, we are now on for an election.
Both sides are very, very nervous about what might unfold. And both sides are right to be nervous.
The two main party leaders, in a strange kind of mirror of each other, are happy campaigners, but divisive characters.
Both of them will try to set the agenda, but they can’t know where this will all take us.
They can’t know if it will be their issues they’re able to talk about at length, but that’s the glory of elections – it’s up to voters to set the terms.
They decide the things they care about, they are interested in and they will put politicians on the spot about.
