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Theresa May has blamed opposition parties for her U-turn on seeking a snap election, accusing them of being intent on "frustrating" the Brexit process.

MPs are currently debating a motion to bring forward the election by three years, with Mrs May expected to secure in the vote later this afternoon.

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The SNP has announced its members at Westminster will abstain, while Labour and the Liberal Democrats have already said they support the move.

Mrs May told MPs: "There are three things a country needs, a strong economy, strong defence and strong, stable leadership.

"That is what our plans for Brexit and our plan for Britain will deliver, and that is what the Conservative Party will be offering at this election.

"We will be out there fighting for every vote, whereas (Mr Corbyn) would bankrupt our economy, weaken our defences and is simply not fit to lead."

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn retorted: "We welcome the General Election but this is a Prime Minister who promised there wouldn't be one, a Prime Minister who cannot be trusted.

"She says it's about leadership, yet is refusing to defend her record in television debates and it's not hard to see why."

Explaining her change of heart on a snap election, having previously ruled it out, Mrs May earlier told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "When it came to triggering Article 50, around that time it became clear the extent to which the opposition parties in Westminster were intent on what I would describe as frustrating the Brexit process.

"Because Brexit isn't just about the letter that says we want to leave, it's about negotiating the deal, about getting the right deal from Europe."

Mrs May also told The Sun newspaper of her concern that the May 2020 election date laid down by the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act would leave her open to pressure from Brussels as the two-year withdrawal negotiations drew to a close in March 2019.

She told the BBC: "I genuinely came to this decision reluctantly, having looked at the circumstances, and having looked ahead at the process of negotiation.

"I want this country to be able to play the strongest hand possible in those negotiations to get the best possible deal because that's in our long-term interests.

"That's what this is about, it's about asking the people to trust me, to trust us in government, to give us that mandate to go and get that really good deal for the UK."

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell dismissed the polls that showed Labour lagging far behind and accused Mrs May of breaking the public's trust over her volte face on a snap election.

Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron dismissed the PM's claims as "nonsense" and said she only wanted an election to secure an increased majority.

SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon said the PM had changed her mind "not for the good of the country but for reasons of simple party advantage".

Scotland's First Minister also told Sky News she was open to a "progressive alliance" with Labour and the Liberal Democrats to keep the Tories out if the "parliamentary arithmetic" added up.