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 days of rumours the prime minister could go to the country earlier than previously thought.

Follow the latest politics news live – general election to be confirmed

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.

Sir Keir Starmer's party are ahead by about 20 points after he set about transforming Labour following its historic defeat in 2019.

Deputy PM Oliver Dowden in particular has been pushing for a summer election, according to Sky News' political editor Beth Rigby.
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Prime Minister Rishi Sunak leaves 10 Downing Street. Pic: PA

General election latest: Rishi Sunak to call election for 4 July - after 'long' discussion in No 10
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Pic: PA

Why there are rumours Rishi Sunak may call an election sooner rather than later

She 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."

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.

Read more: The current state of the parties in 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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by Ketomatic

24 comments

  2. Well time to watch the rags to try run every Labour Scandal from now to then.

  3. We can all be proud of the achievements of Sunaks government such as, and, oh and not forgetting

  4. Wonder if Hilary Benn stays on as NI SOS with a Labour win, got a lot of time for him.

  5. Basically admitting that they’ve given up on the Rwanda scheme, what a colossal waste of money

  8. So Norman Wisdom has finally thrown in the towel.

    Bout time.

    I wonder who Keir will send over as our next *SoS*.

  9. A Labour win is still not guaranteed and certainly not the landslide I’ve seen predicted.

    There is still a large number who didn’t vote at the recent local elections who will come out at the GE to vote Tory.

    Never underestimate the electorates ability to vote against their own interests.

  10. Big man wants to get on that summer holiday nice and early.

    Good bye Rishi, you’ll always be remembered as a man of the people. If those people were self interested millionaires who didn’t know how to work chip and pin.

  12. Freedom day 😅 lolz

    The race to dispense backhanders is on 🏃‍♂️ the Tories have done well to completely fuck the country and line their own pockets Id be surprised if they didnt try to do as much corruption as possible on the way oot.

  17. It’s gonna be an interesting 12th that’s for sure, results will be in by then and if DUP lose even more seats, could be a very uncomfortable one.

  18. The Tories are gone but I’m not convinced with Starmer and his Labour friends.

    I think British politics is pretty shit and well below par nowadays.

  20. Let’s get this fucking thing over and done with. Get the fucking Tories out

  21. Oh, interesting. I wonder who the DUP will stand in my constituency so I can vote for an MP who’ll actually take their seat.

  22. He knows the game is up. It’s just theatrics to please the party now.

  23. Sadly I tend to think Starmer’s Labour and Tories are two cheeks of the same ass, okay they maybe not as extreme but it’s not gonna be a fun time either. As for over here Stormont seems to be doing okay at the min and FM/DFM are our two most popular politicians and doing a decent enough job, would hate to see an election mess that up.

  24. can we please get rid of this stupid *everything news needs to be a text post* rule?!

    it’s so dumb

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