British PM Rishi Sunak calls snap election for July 4

British PM Rishi Sunak has called a surprise summer election for July 4, a gamble to galvanise his restive Conservative party as it trails Labour by double digits in the polls.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has called a snap General Election for July 4, in a bid to stave off internal unrest that could have challenged his leadership.

The surprise move to have an election before the summer break, and with a short campaign period, is considered a huge gamble.

Mr Sunak is banking that the current polling, which shows an almost existential crisis for the Tories can be turned around in record time.

The Prime Minister made the announcement after calling the Cabinet to 10 Downing Street on Tuesday evening local time. Foreign Minister and former prime minister David Cameron had been steadily getting internal Conservative support and was being encouraged to stand for the leadership to avoid any possible electoral wipe-out, but Mr Sunak’s surprise move has put paid to any such internal challenges.

Mr Sunak, making the announcement in heavy rain, and with mischievous rivals blaring an old Labour campaign song down the street, said the choice for voters would be between himself and an untrustworthy Labour leader – Keir Starmer.

Mr Sunak said: “On July 5 either Keir Starmer or I will be prime minister. He has shown time and time again that he will take the easy way out and do anything to get power.

“If he was happy to abandon all the promises he made to become Labour leader once he got the job, how can you know that he won’t do exactly the same thing if he were to become prime minister?”

He said the election would take place “at a time when the world is more dangerous than it has been since the end of the Cold War.”

This is why I’ve just called the election. pic.twitter.com/z54gZc7w2D

— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) May 22, 2024

Mr Sunak may be trying to trade off the back of upcoming 80th commemorations of D-Day, on June 6, to help boost his standing. He was also banking on lower interest rates and falling inflation to help boost his stature as economic leader.

Mr Sunak said: “The question now is how and who do you trust to turn that foundation into a secure future for you, your family and our country.

“Now is the moment for Britain to choose its future.”

At a campaign rally after his announcement, Mr Sunak told supporters only the Conservatives could deliver economic stability.

Surrounded by his cabinet, the Prime Minister told activists at the ExCel convention centre in east London: “We’ve shown the country that it is only this Conservative party that can deliver the economic stability the foundation of our national success.

“Who do you trust to turn that foundation into a secure future for you, your family and our country? Now is the moment for Britain to choose its future, to decide whether we want to build on the progress that we have made or risk going back to square one with no plan and no certainty.”

Mr Sunak said he was sure the British people would “show Labour that they don’t take too kindly to being taken for granted”. He said: “The only certainty with Labour is that they will run out of money and raise your taxes” and that Sir Keir Starmer’s party would leave the country “less secure”.

Change. pic.twitter.com/bgjiCnc3OG

— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) May 22, 2024

He said he wanted to build a “country where hard work will be met with fair rewards and where the opportunities enjoyed by the previous generations will be there for future ones”.

“So let’s take that message of that vision of a secure future to every corner of our United Kingdom,” he said.

Closing his speech, the Prime Minister said: “We’re working for a Britain where we have renewed confidence in ourselves and our communities. A country where hard work will be met with fair rewards and where the opportunities enjoyed by the previous generations will be there for future ones.

“A country where our defence and our security is assured. So let’s take that message and that vision of a secure future to every future of our United Kingdom.

“And let’s show Labour that the British people will never be taken for granted.”

The Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said the General Election is a chance to kick Rishi Sunak’s appalling Conservative Government out of office and deliver the change the public is crying out for.

‘For years the Conservative Party has taken voters for granted and lurched from crisis to crisis while the problems facing the country are getting so much worse, he said, citing woes with the National Health Service, mortgage stress, high rents and polluted rivers.

Meanwhile Sir Keir posted a video on X, formerly Twitter saying it is ‘time for change’.

Rishi Sunak, announces the date for the UK General Election in drenching rain. Picture: Getty Images.

Rishi Sunak returns to No. 10 after announcing the snap election. Picture: Getty Images.

BBC polling expert John Curtice said Mr Sunak was ‘extremely brave or incredibly foolhardy’ to call the snap general election given the state of the polls.

The Conservatives begin the campaign trailing Labour in the opinion polls by a huge 20 percentage points.

The latest average of polls to May 22 puts Labour on 45 per cent, the Conservatives on 24 per cent, Reform on 11 per cent, the Liberal Democrats on 10 per cent and the Greens on 7 per cent.

Labour has consolidated this huge gap which was established two years ago when the Liz Truss experiment failed and Mr Sunak took over.

In a message to Labour supporters titled “Change”, Sir Keir said: “My Labour government will be mission-driven. And ambitions start with first steps”. He promised economic stability, cutting NHS waiting times, a new Border Security Command, an Energy commission, a crack down on unsocial behaviour and 6,500 new teachers in key subjects.

Key election dates

No 10 has released a list of election-related dates following Rishi Sunak’s announcement:

• May 24: Parliament prorogued

• May 30: Parliament dissolved

• June 7: Deadline for nomination of candidates

• June 18: Deadline to register to vote

• July 4: UK general election

• July 9: New parliament summoned, MPs sworn in

• July 17: State opening of parliament and King’s speech

Key election issues

– ‘Economic stability’ –

Despite a cost-of-living crisis and a recent recession, Mr Sunak looks set to make “economic stability” a key plank of the campaign, calling it the “bedrock of any future success”.

Recent opinion polls show that voters trust Labour more than Mr Sunak’s Conservatives on the economy, but Mr Sunak hailed two recent “major milestones” that he is likely to highlight.

They are the return of inflation to under three per cent, setting the scene for mortgage rate cuts, and IMF data showing that the UK economy is growing faster than those of France, Germany and the United States.

– Covid chancellor –

Mr Sunak began his speech by saying that “in the last five years our country has fought through the most challenging times since the Second World War” – and mentioned his own role in those crises.

Mr Sunak was finance minister under prime minister Boris Johnson during the Covid pandemic, and on Wednesday he credited his furlough scheme for preventing “millions of job losses”.

However, the scheme also led to a record amount of peacetime borrowing.

Britain's Prime Minister speaks during a general election campaign event at the ExCeL in east London.

– Security –

Mr Sunak’s most recent reset as leader was positioning the Tories as the party of defence and security – and he emphasised the point again on Wednesday.

“This election will take place at a time when the world is more dangerous than it has been since the end of the Cold War,” he said.

“I will forever do everything in my power to provide you with the strongest possible protection,” he added.

Of the top 10 key issues, defence is the only one on which the public trusts the Tories more than Labour, according to a YouGov poll.

– Immigration –

Mr Sunak also noted his party’s record on immigration, just as new annual figures on arrivals were set to be published Thursday.

But the strategy is not without risk, with public anger still high over the number of people arriving by crossing the Channel.

He vowed that his plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda would “stop the boats”, but because of significant legal delays for the proposal, few if any people will actually be sent to the African nation by election day.

– Health –

The National Health Service (NHS) is the second most important issue to voters. Mr Sunak mentioned it only briefly, saying the Tories had provided it with “record funding”.

But record waiting lists have seen public faith in the government’s ability to run the NHS collapse, and it is likely to be an area Labour will capitalise on during the campaign.

– Net zero –

Mr Sunak’s decision to push back the UK’s plans to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions is one of the clearest dividing lines between the Tories and opposition parties.

Mr Sunak defended the delay, which was widely denounced by environmental groups, in hopes will appeal to his party’s base, which tends to be more concerned about the economic costs of the net-zero goal.

“We prioritised energy security and your family finances over environmental dogma,” he said.

– Keir Starmer –

Mr Sunak also gave indications of the attacks his campaign will launch against Labour leader Keir Starmer, the heavy favourite to become the next prime minister.

Mr Sunak said Sir Keir had no plan for leadership and would “do anything to get power”.

“If he was happy to abandon all the promises he made to become Labour leader once he got the job, how can you know that he won’t do exactly the same thing if he wants to become prime minister?” he said.

While most voters view Sir Keir negatively according to polls, he is still far more popular than the prime minister, who has a “net favourability” rating of -51 according to a recent YouGov poll.

What key players said

– Rishi Sunak –

“I hope that my work since I became prime minister shows that we have a plan and are prepared to take bold action necessary for our country to flourish,” said the prime minister and Conservative party leader.

“I have stuck with that plan and always been honest with you about what is needed … because I’m guided by doing what is right for our country, not what is easy.”

– Keir Starmer –

“After 14 years, it’s time for change. Stop the chaos, turn the page, start to rebuild. Vote Labour,” said the main opposition Labour party leader.

– Ed Davey –

“For years the Conservative Party has taken voters for granted and lurched from crisis to crisis while the problems facing the country are getting so much worse,” said the Liberal Democrat Party leader.

“The NHS (state-run National Health Service) has been brought to its knees, people’s mortgages and rents have soared by hundreds of pounds a month, and water companies have got away with pumping filthy sewage into our rivers and beaches.”

– John Swinney –

“I look forward to leading the SNP in this election. This is the moment to remove the Tory government and put Scotland first by voting SNP,” said the First Minister of Scotland and pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP) leader.

“People in Scotland know we stand up for them and protect them from the damage done by (the UK parliament at) Westminster.”

– Nigel Farage –

“Rishi Sunak and his speech notes are both soaking wet outside No. 10 (Downing Street),” said the high-profile Brexiteer, ex-leader of the Brexit Party and the anti-immigration party UKIP, who could make a return to frontline politics.

“This is the most farcical general election launch in history.”

– Richard Tice – “People know that the Tories have broken Britain. Labour and ‘Starmergeddon’ will do what they always do, which is bankrupt Britain, and it’s only Reform UK’s common sense policies that can now save Britain,” said the leader of Reform UK, formerly the Brexit Party, which is expected to take crucial votes from Sunak’s Tories.

With AFP