UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak Calls General Election for July 4

The UK general elections are set to take place on July 4, as announced by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Wednesday. Standing at the lectern on the steps of 10 Downing Street on a rainy London evening, the country's first Prime Minister of Indian heritage confirmed a summer poll in six weeks' time and informed that Parliament would soon be dissolved after he formally informed King Charles III of the election timeline. In his pitch to the British electorate, the 44-year-old leader highlighted his record in office, promising to provide strong protection and urging the nation to choose its future.

These uncertain times call for a clear plan and bold action to chart a course to a secure future.

You must choose in this election who has that plan and who is prepared to take that bold action to secure a better future for our country and our children. pic.twitter.com/qlbgmYuGkM

— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) May 22, 2024

"I will do everything in my power to provide you with the strongest possible protection I can. That is my promise to you… now is the moment for Britain to choose its future,” he said.

The governing Conservative Party is predicted to face a significant defeat in the general election, according to most opinion polls, with the Opposition Labour Party maintaining a firm lead after recent byelection and local election victories. A Labour spokesperson expressed readiness for the election, stating that the country is "crying out for a general election."

Sunak reaffirmed his stance on a general election in the “second half of this year” during his weekly Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) in the House of Commons. Meanwhile, UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps postponed his flight to attend a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) meeting, and Foreign Secretary David Cameron cut short his visit to Albania to be in London for the Cabinet meeting, hinting at the imminent election date announcement.

“As I have said repeatedly, there is — spoiler alert — going to be a general election in the second half of this year,” Sunak told MPs in the Commons. “At that moment, the British people will in fact see the truth… it will be a party [Labour] that is not able to say to the country what it would do, a party that would put at risk our hard-earned economic stability, or the Conservatives who are delivering a secure future for our United Kingdom,” he said.

The announcement coincided with positive news on the UK economy, with inflation figures dropping to 2.3 per cent, the lowest in three years, aligning with Sunak’s pledge to reduce inflation from the 11 per cent mark when he assumed office in October 2022.

“Brighter days are ahead, but only if we stick to the plan to improve economic security and opportunity for everyone," Sunak remarked in response to the encouraging statistics.

The speculation about an earlier election, initially expected in October or November, gained credibility with this announcement. Sunak had convened the Cabinet meeting to inform his ministers that he had spoken to the King to dissolve Parliament for a general election on the first Thursday of July – elections in the UK traditionally occur on Thursdays. The repeal of the Fixed-term Parliaments Act in 2022 reinstated the British prime minister's authority to set election dates, with a general election legally mandated to occur at least every five years, setting January 2025 as the outermost deadline for Sunak to call for elections.

(With PTI Inputs)