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General Election
https://news.sky.com/story/rishi-sunak-to-call-general-election-for-4-july-sky-news-understands-13141213
Rishi Sunak will call a general election for 4 July, Sky News understands.
The surprise move comes after a day of rumours in Westminster the prime minister could go to the country earlier than previously thought.
Mr Sunak has been saying for months an election would happen in the "second half of the year" but had refused to set a date.
The assumption in Westminster was that he would call the vote in the autumn, to give his party more time to make up ground against Labour in the polls.
Sir Keir Starmer's party are ahead by about 20 points after he set about transforming Labour following its historic defeat in 2019.
Sky News' political editor Beth Rigby understands that there has been an ongoing "long and open discussion" in Downing Street about whether to hold the election now or in the autumn.
Deputy PM Oliver Dowden in particular has been pushing for a summer election, arguing the improving economic forecast will give the party a fighting chance.
Beth said: "On the back these good inflation figures, the International Monetary Fund upgrading the growth forecasts, the UK coming out of recession, the prime minister looks like he is going to go in the summer."
Speculation Mr Sunak could name the date mounted in Westminster as Cabinet ministers were summoned for an unusually timed meeting on Wednesday, with Defence Secretary Grant Shapps and Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron cutting short trips abroad to attend.
It comes after the Tory leader declared inflation was "back to normal" in a "major milestone" for the country, following official figures showing inflation slowed to 2.3% in April.
Under parliamentary rules, there has to be 25 working days between the dissolution of parliament - at the request of the prime minister - and voters going to the polls.
As general elections have to be held every five years, the final day a vote could have taken place was 28 January 2025.
However, the Conservatives in 2019 restored the prime minister's power to call an election at a time of their choosing within that five years.
The last general election was held in 2019, when Boris Johnson won the Conservatives a landslide over Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party.
Since then, there have been two more prime ministers, Liz Truss and Mr Sunak, and the Conservatives' 80-seat majority has been reduced.
Rishi Sunak will call a general election for 4 July, Sky News understands.
The surprise move comes after a day of rumours in Westminster the prime minister could go to the country earlier than previously thought.
Mr Sunak has been saying for months an election would happen in the "second half of the year" but had refused to set a date.
The assumption in Westminster was that he would call the vote in the autumn, to give his party more time to make up ground against Labour in the polls.
Sir Keir Starmer's party are ahead by about 20 points after he set about transforming Labour following its historic defeat in 2019.
Sky News' political editor Beth Rigby understands that there has been an ongoing "long and open discussion" in Downing Street about whether to hold the election now or in the autumn.
Deputy PM Oliver Dowden in particular has been pushing for a summer election, arguing the improving economic forecast will give the party a fighting chance.
Beth said: "On the back these good inflation figures, the International Monetary Fund upgrading the growth forecasts, the UK coming out of recession, the prime minister looks like he is going to go in the summer."
Speculation Mr Sunak could name the date mounted in Westminster as Cabinet ministers were summoned for an unusually timed meeting on Wednesday, with Defence Secretary Grant Shapps and Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron cutting short trips abroad to attend.
It comes after the Tory leader declared inflation was "back to normal" in a "major milestone" for the country, following official figures showing inflation slowed to 2.3% in April.
Under parliamentary rules, there has to be 25 working days between the dissolution of parliament - at the request of the prime minister - and voters going to the polls.
As general elections have to be held every five years, the final day a vote could have taken place was 28 January 2025.
However, the Conservatives in 2019 restored the prime minister's power to call an election at a time of their choosing within that five years.
The last general election was held in 2019, when Boris Johnson won the Conservatives a landslide over Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party.
Since then, there have been two more prime ministers, Liz Truss and Mr Sunak, and the Conservatives' 80-seat majority has been reduced.
Comments
But wanting to get on with replacing their Leader after an election. Because that-and a lot of other things-are rather easier in Opposition than in Government.
The Election should be fun. But the battle for control of the Tory Party is going to be nasty.
Broadly speaking from Oddschecker, "Party with Most Seats";
Labour 1/20
Conservatives 10/1
@lucy4
It's fine as it is I think, & I'm sure @HAYSIE can & will contribute to this thread as we go forward,
1. They have some major negative dirt on labour whether genuine or not. Which will come out shortly and seriously hurt labours chance and from that help the Tories chance
2. they know the mess is a big one and expect things to continue to get worse regardless of who is in power. Therefore they think if they leave the mess on labour to inherit then labour can be blamed maybe their government fall apart and tories are back in power in a year or two after the election anyway due to another election or etc.
3. Sunuk has reason to believe that a vote of no confidence forcing him out is likely but forcing an election means that they cant change leader.
personally I would not be surprised if it was a combination of these 3 things or even all 3.
They say a week is a long time in politics well 7 months is a lot longer and I cant help but feel there has to be a reason as to why now.
I am nervous about this one if the tories can do what they have done and get back in again how much worse will things get. I recently have had multiple people on these forums and away from the forums say I have a very pessimistic attitude in life and this does not help me there may be truth in that.
MY brother said recently that I am not a "the glass is half empty guy, more a the glass is completely empty and if i try to take a sip I will probably cut myself on broken glass kind of guy"
not sure if that is entirely fair but maybe rather then living in fear of a tory victory I can try to ask myself what I can do to try and avoid that? probably campaign for the tories I do not feel like a likeable guy.
Seriously though could I even make a difference or would I just be wasting my effort? if the latter I am [probably just best getting on with my life and ignoring a lot of this.
Why now?
Chris Mason summed it up thus...
"In other words, do it now or it could get worse."
"Wait - I’ve been driving since 3pm - did Rishi just stand in
the **** rain to make the eannouncement? Did nobody think to give him a brolly? Did they actually think “sad faced drowned rat” was a better optic than “brolly”?
Or maybe DO IT INDOORS?
They’re SO **** AT THIS."
https://x.com/MitchBenn/status/1793364349962039405
"“Labour don’t have a plan”. Says man. outside. In rain. Sans brolly, while starmer has his news conference in room with roof"
Meanwhile, the fun has started...
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/the-prime-minister-has-chosen-suicide-over-obliteration-claims-nigel-farage-after-election-announcement/ar-BB1mSnAf?ocid=msedgntp&pc=NMTS&cvid=ca3bc9612add47ef9a73826a06abe6b7&ei=13#fullscreen
Has anyone watched the America first broadcasts ..podcasts ..very interesting points of view
Also and more importantly we can’t be a safe haven for everyone that doesn’t register as a man or a woman explaining why to blokes dressed as women are sucking the face off each other in a shopping centre to your children.. all wrong .. fair dues they can’t help the way they are but at least do it privately not in front off children. Maybe it’s just me but doing that causes more problems for them and us . I asked you all do you think this is appropriate or should be allowed or tolerated if public places in front off young children . This country is in a mess .government failures for decades now mainly conservatives appeasing the rich
Problem no matter who you vote for they won’t fix the problems. Sunak wants to tax folk that are no well or on benefits even worse pensioners the poor typical Tory’s probably to pay his immigration f up another 50million waste … Labour have no plan and there leader , joke we remember your failure in prosecuting the pedo Jimmy saville and others . No fit to run a **** up in a brewery. None off them ..
I think my gripe with the trans movement is only that we need language to communicate. When I say that biological men are on average stronger then biological women and then this is denied and people then say that people born with a **** are biological women it becomes difficult to have a conversation. most distinguish between biological sex and gender identity though.
I do however think that your comment could be seen as both transphobic and homophobic. I really do not care if someone born a man wants to identify as a women and if two consenting adults kiss in public whats wrong with that? if we are talking about inappropriate sexual contact in public or display then sure that is an issue but them been trans or gay is utterly irrelevant to that discussion.
you seem to have a lot of hate for various groups which is a shame.
I do think that we are hardly spoiled for choice, choosing between Starmer or Sunuk but I do think it is a clear choice Starmer.
At least we have it better then the Americans who will choose between a guy with dementia who likely lacks the where with all to run a hot dog stand let alone a country or Donald Trump.
Now that is a tough choice and one I really do not have the answer for.