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General Election

lucy4lucy4 Member Posts: 7,974
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.
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Comments

  • EssexphilEssexphil Member Posts: 8,804
    A lot of people within the Conservative Party want an early election. Knowing they will lose.

    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.
  • lucy4lucy4 Member Posts: 7,974
    How apt that someone is blasting out 'Things Can Only Get Better' over Sunak's speech.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6QhAZckY8w
  • Tikay10Tikay10 Member, Administrator, Moderator Posts: 170,111

    Broadly speaking from Oddschecker, "Party with Most Seats";


    Labour 1/20

    Conservatives 10/1



  • lucy4lucy4 Member Posts: 7,974
    @Tikay10 if you prefer you can close this thread down and reopen the @HAYSIE thread as he will be posting more on the GE than I will.
  • Tikay10Tikay10 Member, Administrator, Moderator Posts: 170,111
    lucy4 said:

    @Tikay10 if you prefer you can close this thread down and reopen the @HAYSIE thread as he will be posting more on the GE than I will.


    @lucy4


    It's fine as it is I think, & I'm sure @HAYSIE can & will contribute to this thread as we go forward,

  • DoublemeDoubleme Member Posts: 2,160
    it seems strange to me that he would call an election for now I can think of only three possibilities as to why.

    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.
  • Tikay10Tikay10 Member, Administrator, Moderator Posts: 170,111

    Why now?

    Chris Mason summed it up thus...


    "In other words, do it now or it could get worse."
  • HAYSIEHAYSIE Member Posts: 36,054
    Tikay10 said:

    lucy4 said:

    @Tikay10 if you prefer you can close this thread down and reopen the @HAYSIE thread as he will be posting more on the GE than I will.


    @lucy4


    It's fine as it is I think, & I'm sure @HAYSIE can & will contribute to this thread as we go forward,

    No probs.
  • lucy4lucy4 Member Posts: 7,974
    edited May 22
    Nigel Farage thinks the timing of the GE is a lot to do with him and Sunak was scared of rumours that he was going back into the frontline political fray.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNMGAhBOLPo
  • Tikay10Tikay10 Member, Administrator, Moderator Posts: 170,111
    edited May 22

    "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"









  • HAYSIEHAYSIE Member Posts: 36,054
  • DoublemeDoubleme Member Posts: 2,160
    This household will be advocating for labour
    width

  • HAYSIEHAYSIE Member Posts: 36,054
  • legascaaclegascaac Member Posts: 198
    Labour can’t be trusted either. What’s there plan , I don’t know does anyone. Just a couple of important things before the election like NHS and care sectors , immigration, refugees we’ve no room for them , no houses , we can’t even house all off the homeless people . People in general have had enough off 8 million a day for refugees while the people loss out , it’s our taxes that have to pay for them all wrong give them tents like the French do , might no be so keen then to come , It’s time to put Britain 🇬🇧 first and the British first fix our country instead off being dragged down with other countries problems. If labour’s plan is to let them all in . There’s going to be trouble for sure . We have to stop 🛑 this immigration carry on get the 8 million a day into the NHS and fixing the roads . It’s really simple send them all back if they come by boat . It will stop if you put them on a plane straight back . Boats will stop then . We must get this sorted. Britain first . Then help others if we can .
    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 ..
  • EssexphilEssexphil Member Posts: 8,804
    Thought you weren't standing Nigel :)
  • DoublemeDoubleme Member Posts: 2,160
    legascaac said:

    Labour can’t be trusted either. What’s there plan , I don’t know does anyone. Just a couple of important things before the election like NHS and care sectors , immigration, refugees we’ve no room for them , no houses , we can’t even house all off the homeless people . People in general have had enough off 8 million a day for refugees while the people loss out , it’s our taxes that have to pay for them all wrong give them tents like the French do , might no be so keen then to come , It’s time to put Britain 🇬🇧 first and the British first fix our country instead off being dragged down with other countries problems. If labour’s plan is to let them all in . There’s going to be trouble for sure . We have to stop 🛑 this immigration carry on get the 8 million a day into the NHS and fixing the roads . It’s really simple send them all back if they come by boat . It will stop if you put them on a plane straight back . Boats will stop then . We must get this sorted. Britain first . Then help others if we can .
    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 ..

    So yes Immigration is a problem, we cant just accept unlimited numbers. I dont see the tories plan doing anything other then been inhumane. people that come over here not by choice or are deceived and thus end up in slavery can no longer seek support or go to the authorities not good. It also looks like a huge waste of tax payer money for not much in return.

    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.
  • DoublemeDoubleme Member Posts: 2,160
    Rishi Sunuk if he wins the election.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgflCE7zRpc
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